The Pure Blood Prince?
by Animaltalker
Summary: A Marriage law Fic with a twist: Severus Snape IS s a Pureblood! So who is his father? And what changes will his newly revealed paternity cause in his life. What other secrets are there in his family. Ch 21 up
1. Chapter 1 Shocking News

Harry sat with his fellow older seventh year Gryffindors, those who were finally finishing their last year at Hogwarts now that the war was over. He felt a combination of relief and guilt, knowing that this morning's owl post wouldn't be bringing him a letter from the Ministry of Magic. Being a Half-Blood he was free of the ludicrous, so called Marriage Act and it's convolutions.

Most members of Wizarding Society, even those directly affected by the law didn't know all of the act's provisions, but being best friends with Hermione Know-It-All Granger meant that he and Ron and most of the rest of Gryffindor did. Hermione had read the entire act, all it's sections and subsections and amendments. She could describe in excruciating detail what it meant to Muggle born witches and wizards and what it meant to a "pureblood". Harry found himself putting quotes around the term pureblood because Hermione had explained that one could actually be only 75 pureblood and still be considered pureblood under the marriage law, or as the ministry had phrased it one would be considered a pureblood as long as 6 of 8 great grandparents were pureblood witches or wizards.

Harry continued to think about the marriage act as he scanned the room; he saw some very distressed looking couples. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkins looked the worst. The marriage act would force each of them to marry a Muggle born, they had tried to get around the it by eloping before the law went into effect, but the Ministry of Magic had suspended marriage licenses to all purebloods and Muggle borns as soon as word of the Marriage Act got out, until after the law went into effect.

Many a young witch who would be eligible under the law was nervous, because the law gave older bachelors preference in choosing a compatible bride. Many of the 7th year girls wonder what sort of age gap there would be between them and their prospective groom.

Harry's musings were interrupted by the arrival of a parliament of owls, most clutching scrolls with the official MOM seal. The birds quickly began offering up their mostly unwanted deliveries and nearly all of them showed their legendary wisdom by not waiting around for a tidbit of food.

The sound of breaking seals, unfurling parchments and sighs and sobs were interrupted by the scolding sound of the familiar voice of Hogwarts most intimidating professor, "Are you daft bird? I'm not supposed to get one of those wretched Marriage Act Notifications, I'm a Half-Blood!"

Suddenly all eyes turned to the head table where a nonplussed Ministry owl hopped about impatiently waiting for Severus Snape to remove the proffered letter. The owl and the wizard had a bit of a staring contest. When it seemed that Snape's stubbornness would keep the bird there all morning, Professor Flitwick spoke up, "Severus, just take it. You can sort out the problem later." Severus snorted, but finally took his diminutive colleague's advice, though he scowled at the official scroll and made no move to open it.

"Ignoring it won't change what's inside it my friend," Filius observed.

"No, I suppose it won't," Severus agreed, lifting the scroll and breaking the Ministry of Magic seal.

He had barely perused the first sentence when Severus began to swear, "Bloody hell, those ministry cretins have royally cocked up!"

"Severus, join me in my office!" Headmistress McGonagal snapped, when Severus didn't immediately move from his chair at the head table, she added sharply, "Now!"

Students all across the Great Hall fought valiantly not to laugh, but were fighting a losing the battle as it was priceless seeing their most feared professor being called to the Headmistress' office like a naughty third year caught playing with a fanged Frisbee. As the doors to the Great Hall closed behind the swirling robes of the potion master, the contained laughter burst forth like water from a fire hose.

"Well that was brilliant," Ron observed.

"Yeah, best bit of entertainment we've had in ages," Harry agreed.

"Ooh, you two," Hermione growled.

"What?" Ron asked bewildered.

"Don't you have any sympathy or respect for the man, he is a war hero and he did save your lives," she looked at the two young men seated on either side of her and added, "several times."

"Yeah, well still, he went ballistic over a letter from the Ministry. I mean, it's a simple clerical error. What's the big deal?" Harry asked.

"A simple clerical error?" Hermione repeated. "Since when does the ministry make clerical errors? And think what that error suggests, we know full well that Professor Snape is a half-blood."

"Yeah, the Half-Blood Prince," Harry said recalling the inscription in the old potion textbook he'd used in 6th year that turned out to be Snape's.

"Yes, but think what's implied by that letter. What would you think if you got one, Harry? Or if you hadn't got one Ron?" Hermione asked.

"But,"– both boys started.

"I know that's not what happened, but what if?"

"I'd think my Dad wasn't my Dad," Ron said slowly and with dawning realization.

"Yeah, no wonder he was so bloody angry, it's like someone publicly declaring your mother a slut and you a bastard," Harry summed up the situation.

"Merlin's beard, I think for the first time since I've known Snape I feel a bit of sympathy for him. I mean I'd be furious too if some ruddy clerk's bungled spell slandered me mother's good name," Ron said firmly.

"You mean libeled, slander is when someone says something, libel is when it's written." Hermione corrected.

Both young men rolled their eyes.

"Well, Snape'll get it all straightened out. If he could handle Voldemort, he can handle some skiving clerk at the ministry of magic."

"Yeah, but can he handle the headmistress?"


	2. Chapter 2 what he can handle

Headmistress Minerva McConagal led her ill-tempered colleague to her office in silence while she thought over the situation. She cursed herself for a fool for not realizing that the Marriage Act might reveal Severus' true paternity. She wondered if she should simply tell him the truth but decided she'd rather it came from a neutral third party.

Minerva gave the password to the gargoyle, some obscure bit of Scottish history Severus was sure, and they rode the moving staircase up to her office. As soon as the door to her office closed, Severus began complaining, "I don't like being hauled off to your office like some naughty third year."

"Then stop acting like one," Minerva retorted, maybe more sharply than she intended.

Severus had a biting comeback on the type of his tongue, but he bit it back, knowing it wouldn't do to antagonize Minerva if he was to get her to grant him a boon. Minerva filled the silence with a further reproach, "I don't care if you swear like a drunken sailor, but don't do it in front of the student body."

Again Severus' immediate thought was to explain just how blue those sweet children could turn the air, but he restrained himself and instead did the unimaginable. Severus sighed and said. "I apologize."

"My, you really want a big favor badly," she ventured.

Severus was loathed to tell her she was correct, but knew he needed to swallow some of his enormous ego so he could get on with sorting out his life.

"Not such an enormous favor, I just want the morning off, so I can go get this mess," he waved the parchment from the ministry at Minerva, "taken care off."

"Alright, do you have lesson plans for today's classes in your desk drawer for a substitute instructor?"

"Uh, no, I don't," Severus reluctantly admitted.

"Severus! You know you are always suppose to have at least a weeks worth of lesson plans in your desk," Minerva scolded, though there was no real bite to her words.

"I know, but since the war ended I haven't been so worried that I wouldn't be able to make a class and well," he hesitated a moment, and a look Minerva was having difficulty cataloging settled on his features, "I've become lax," Severus stated somewhat surprised at as own words.

"I never thought I'd say this, but how lovely, to think you've finally gotten to the point where you take it for granted that you will be there in class everyday."

"You're not angry?" he asked somewhat surprised.

"I probably should be and I probably should be thinking of some appropriate punishment, but for now just write up an appropriate day's lessons for your students in all of your classes today."

"All?"

"Yes," Minerva wanted to give him the whole day off so he could cope with what he would learn but she needed a good excuse. "You probably aren't the only one having to deal with this particular problem and you may need to wait and fill out forms and do other sorts of time wasting bureaucratic things."

"You're right of course. I am going to deal with the Ministry of Magic. The process will be slow and maddeningly illogical."

"You had any doubt that I was right?" she asked with a smile.

"Never Minerva, now lend me your quill and some parchment and I will dash off those lesson plans for today."

As Severus worked at her desk, Minerva could see in him her childhood rival who she finally became friends with, Eileen Prince. Severus had his mother's dark eyes and hair but she could see his father in him too, in the shape of his face, his height, his long elegant fingers and most of all in his Gryffindor courage.

"There, all done," Severus said and presented Minerva with the parchment containing the assignments for his classes to complete in his absence.

"Alright then, would you like to floo to the Ministry from here?"

Yes, if you don't mind," he answered and Minerva shook her head and smiled, grabbing up a pinch of Floo powder and pitching it into the fireplace. Severus stepped in and spoke his destination "Ministry of Magic" clearly.

As soon as he had left she turned to address the portrait of a particular Headmaster only to find the frame was empty.

Severus found that Minerva had been correct, he was redirected several times before he was asked to wait to speak to a Deputy Undersecretary Wofford with the Department of Vital Statistics. She was an exceptionally plain witch with greasy blond hair, the color of old straw, and an unremarkable face save for the pair of granny glasses that perched on her nose.

"My, my Professor Snape, it's not every day we get a bona fide war hero in the office," she didn't notice Severus cringe at her pronouncing him a war hero. "What can we do for you today?"

"You can straighten this mess out," he said impatiently waving the Marriage Act Notification letter at her like a baton.

"Let me see what you have there," she said taking the parchment out of his hand.

"Well, this all seems to be in order," she said wondering how long it would take to reel in this big fish, and into what she could parlay his information. All morning long witches and wizards had been coming in disputing their notification letters and she, Margaret Wofford would help them ascertain their true paternity. She was also keeping a magical copy of the Doubting Thomases' pedigrees for her own for future use.

"It can't be, my father was a Muggle and my mother was a pure blood witch, that makes me a half-blood.

"There is a way to be absolutely sure, sir, a simple potion and spell.

The potion maker in Sevrerus made him curious and not a bit incautious, "What potion?

"It's a combination of veritaserum and your own blood. You simply bewitch a quill and parchment asking them to write your true pedigree."

Undersecretary Wofford produced the necessary parchment, quill, inkwell, veritaserum and ceremonial dagger and then a small piece of parchment with the spell _scribe nomen ut genitus is cruor_ (write the names that begot this blood) written on it and a diagram of the proper wand movements. "I'll allow you some privacy to cast the spell that will produce your pedigree chart back to your great grandparents."

Snape nodded and found himself mesmerized by the idea that with the sacrifice of a few drops of his blood he would know the truth of his birth. As soon as Wofford left the room he set to work. He used the dagger, which he noted had the "recipe" for the ink engraved on it's handle, "_two parts blood to three parts veritaserum_", to cut his left palm. He prepared the ink then healed his hand. He studied the wand movements a moment and then cast the spell. Immediately the bewitched quill wrote his name at the bottom of the parchment and then above that wrote Eileen Prince, the quill moved up and added in his grandmother Maria Roth and his grandfather Andrew Prince. Severus grew inpatient as the quill finished his mother side of the tree because he already knew that information. He wanted to see his father's side to see if that was different from what he had always assumed was true. When the quill dropped back down to write his father's name, he almost wished he'd never cast the spell, never came to challenge the notification. It just couldn't be. As soon as the quill completed the pedigree chart, he snatched it up and ran out of the room.

"Professor Snape! Professor Snape!" Undersecretary Wofford called after the mass of billowing black robes until the loud crack of apparition was heard. She then proceeded into the room where the excess blood veritaserum ink was and recast the pedigree spell on a new piece of parchment. She could always claim she wanted to see what upset the professor so, but in truth she'd realize these disputes about half-bloods realizing they were purebloods could be a way for her to augment her meager ministry salary. When the spell revealed Snape's true father Wofford cackled, "Well, well, well dear Miss Rita Skeeter missed that old Wizard's biggest secret!"


	3. Chapter 3 Sulking

Severus apparated slightly above the grounds of Hogwarts and came down a bit off kilter, having to go down to one hand and a knee to keep from landing on his face. He realized, as ill focused as he'd been leaving the Ministry of Magic, he was lucky he hadn't splinched himself. All he'd been thinking was he wanted to get away from the Ministry, and he hadn't focused very clearly on where he wanted to go. He looked around and realized he was near the lake where he used to come with Lily. It was a place that normally soothed him, so it made sense he'd unconsciously retreat there.

He looked at the parchment that was still clutched in his hand, and then he sat down by the tree that he and Lilly always sat by, he pulled his long legs in toward his chest, his knees came up towards his chin and he wrapped his arms around them, allowing his teaching robes to sweep back to either side of him and flutter a bit in the light breeze. He began thinking about what the parchment in his hand revealed. It was so hard to believe. Could Albus Dumbledore really be his father? Under what circumstances would his mother and Dumbledore have met and become lovers. When his mother became pregnant, did she tell Albus? Or did she keep it a secret? That seemed the likely explanation; Dumbledore probably never knew the true relationship between them. After all, a man like Albus Dumbledore wouldn't have turned his back on a pregnant witch. Surely he wouldn't have let another man raise his son, and he wouldn't have favored James Potter and his friends over his own son. Nor would he ask his son to kill him. Albus couldn't do all the things he'd done to him over the years, if he'd known they were flesh and blood.

Severus found his mind drifting to the man he had thought of as his father all these years, Tobias Snape. Tobias was at the best of times taciturn and his mood while somewhat unpredictable was rarely, if ever, warm or friendly. Tobias loathed magic and so it seemed by extension he loathed his wife and son. Severus had exhibited early signs of being a very strong and talented wizard, and of course like many young wizards and witches he couldn't always control the magic that flowed within him; but he quickly learned to try, because uncontrolled magic lead to barely controlled beatings from Snape senior. Of course that his "father" disapproved of magic only made him more eager to learn it. Thanks to members of his mother's family he had many books on magic, some that would be considered well beyond his years and a bit too dark for a boy, but he loved them all and kept them well hidden from Tobias.

Now as a full grown man looking back on his early life with this newly revealed information he wondered if Tobias Snape knew he was a cuckold, that he was raising another man's son. If so it might explain his behavior toward his wife and son, and why Severus' home life had never been like those of his classmates. Severus sighed, he wished there was a magical portrait of his mother to go to so he could ask her to explain all this to him, but his father, Tobias, had of course never wanted such a thing. Maybe his mother's brother had a picture of her. Severus hadn't seen his uncle in years. Alexander Prince had disowned his nephew when he took the Dark Mark, but now that Severus' true allegiances were out in the open maybe Alexander would accept him back into the family.

Without a double potions class to go to this afternoon, Hermione had decided to come out to the lake to study, sometimes the Gryffindor common room was just too noisy and the library too stifling. She saw Professor Snape sitting by her favorite tree. He had a crumpled parchment in his right fist. She thought it odd, but there was something in his posture that made him seem like a sulking boy. He seemed decades younger than his true age and rather vulnerable. He looked as though he could use someone with whom to talk, but being who he was and how he was she doubted he'd appreciate the gesture. She sighed, turned and walked back toward the castle hoping the Ravenclaws hadn't already checked out all the books she'd need for her Potion essay. As she took a last look over her shoulder at the professor who had set the essay, she wondered what his students would think if they could see him looking so forlorn.

Severus heard someone sigh and looked up just in time to see Hermione Granger walking away from the lake towards the castle. He realized she must have seen him but decided not to bother him. He felt an unexpected surge of gratitude toward the girl that she could have the good sense not to bother him while he, Severus stopped for a second to consider what he was doing. What was he doing? Wallowing in self-pity? That was definitely not a Slytherin thing to do. 'Merlin's Beard,' he thought, 'with Albus as my father, I could have been sorted into Gryffindor!'

"_I think sometimes we sort too soon," _he remembered Albus telling him. Did he know? OR maybe just suspect?

"Blast this sitting around like a sulky child. I may not be able to ask my mother what the truth of her relationship with Albus was but I can damn well ask him if he knew he was my father!"


	4. Chapter 4 Father Son Chat

CH 4 A Father Son Chat

Severus walked with determination toward the headmistress' office. Students who were generally afraid of him anyway gave him an even wider berth than usual. He approached the gargoyle and for a moment couldn't remember the blasted password. 'Oh yes,' he thought, "Bannockburn" he said and the gargoyle seemed to leap aside as though it could sense his impatience. As soon as he emerged off the moving staircase into McGonagal's office, he launched into what was less a request than a demand.

"Minerva, I need to use your office for a bit, to have a private conversation with Dumbledore," he stated.

"I see," she said and from the soft and understanding tone of her voice he thought perhaps she did.

"Do you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, but there will be time to discuss that later," she turned to the walls of her office and spoke in a commanding tone. "Come, let us leave Severus and Albus alone to their private discussion."

Some of the past head masters and headmistresses grumbled a bit at being rousted from their frames, but then Phineas suggested they all head to a pub scene and the grousing seemed to stop.

When they were finally alone Severus strode over to stand in front of Albus' portrait.

"Do you know why I'm here?" he asked.

"Not entirely, no." Albus responded.

Severus was immediately angered at the prevaricating response. It was neither a true yes nor a no and left the ball very much in his court.

"Fine let me explain what my day has been like today." Severus began to speak in a rapid fire and almost forced manner. "This morning at breakfast, the students were all in a tizzy discussing the Marriage Act that mandates that Pureblood Wizards and Witches must marry Muggle born Witches and Wizards, when suddenly in came owls from the Ministry of Magic bearing Notification Letters for all those who would be affected by the act. Imagine my surprise when I received one as a pureblood wizard! I requested time from Minerva to go straighten out the obvious error at the Ministry. Well, a few hours of jumping through administrative hoops and a few drops of my blood added to some Veritaserum and here I have the truth of the matter in my hand. This is a copy of my true pedigree. Albus. Care to see it?" he asked and without waiting for an answer he unfurled the parchment and held it so the portrait of Albus could see it.

"So tell me, did you know? Did you know I was your son?" Severus' voice had gone from his normal strong baritone to a thunderous roar that was rattling the frames on the wall.

Albus waited a moment for Severus to calm down a trifle, because he knew his answer would take him back up to new heights of anger.

"Well," Severus prompted.

"Yes, I knew," he answered softly.

"You bloody bastard!" Severus cursed and then he laughed. "No, I guess I'm the bastard now aren't I, or did you simply take another man's wife?"

"No, I didn't take another man's wife," Albus answered sharply. "Eileen was not married when you were conceived."

"Neither to Tobias Snape nor to you," Severus pointed out.

"Correct, because I had told her we could not marry or have children," Albus explained.

"Why not?" Severus asked, still angry but truly curious.

"Do you think Voldemort was the first ever Dark Lord? Have you never heard of Grindlewald?" Albus quizzed his son as though he were as Severus would say, a dunderhead.

"Of course I've heard of Grindlewald, every first year knows you defeated him in 1945, but that was 15 years before I was born!"

"Yes, it was, but at his death many of his followers simply slipped into the night and awaited some new Dark Lord, and I knew that some day Tom Riddle might be that Dark Lord. I wanted no one I loved to be a target to the new Dark Lord. I begged your mother to understand how things had to be and she swore she did. I should have remembered I'd taken a Slytherin to my bed."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Severus asked in a roar, his house and filial devotions rising up to add to his already prodigious temper.

"Every time we made love I watched her take a contraceptive potion, but I should have known that as great a potion mistress as your mother could brew something that would look like a contraceptive potion but have the opposite effect. She was sure when she told me she carried my child that I would change my mind, but when I didn't change my mind immediately, she cursed me without so much as a second thought."

"How did she curse you?" Severus was now even more curious.

"Her curse upon me was that I would never be able to acknowledge in any way to any person that you were my son. I don't think she realized it would be, or at least I don't think that she meant it to be, but the curse was irrevocable," the sadness in the portrait's face and voice was genuine and wrenching.

"She left you no room to change your mind?" Severus asked barely above a whisper.

"No, and believe me I did change my mind almost immediately, but it was over and done as far as she was concerned. She went off and found Tobias Snape and convinced him to marry her and be your father."

" A father,' Severus chuckled. "I'm not sure who was a worse father you or Tobias. I mean I can understand Snape, he was stuck raising another man's son, that would tend to make a man mean and cruel," he turned so he could look Albus more directly in the eye. "Did you know he used to beat me rather routinely? It was actually good training for working as a spy."

"Oh, Severus, how I wish I still had a body that I could reach out and hold you son, comfort you."

"I wish you had a body too, so I could punch you in the jaw. Mighty Gryffindor the cowardly lion, afraid to get his heart torn up, that's why you didn't want a wife and child, not for our protection for yours. I'm ashamed to be your son and damn glad I'm the one who killed you!" Severus turned and bolted from the room.

"Winky!" Dumbledore bellowed.

"Yes, Master Dumbledore," Winky said as she magically appeared in the headmistress' office as house elves could and would do when summoned.

"Winky, please see that master Severus is watched over by the house elves. He is in a very bad mood and may do damage to himself or others."

"Oh yes Master, house elves look after your son very good sir."

"Wait Winky how did you know Severus was my son?"

"Elves know, see Dumbledore and Missy Prince make baby, wizard baby all love and magic."

"I've managed to take all the love out of my boy. I have to find a way to put it back in his life. I have to find a way to be a better father to him now that I'm dead than I ever was while living."


	5. Chapter 5 Whiskey Elves & Towers

Severus stormed into his personal quarters and went directly to his liquor cabinet. He reached past the brandy and wine and pulled out a bottle of Fire Whisky and a tumbler. He poured a full tumbler of the amber liquid and quickly drained the glass, wincing a bit as it burned its way down his throat. He decided to make himself comfortable as he worked on his current project which was to get as drunk as he possibly could, which considering he hadn't eaten all day should be a bit easier. He lit a fire in his fireplace and then blocked it from the floo network so he wouldn't be interrupted; next he removed his robes, uncharacteristically throwing them on the floor. He sat down in his leather chair and then he very deliberately put his booted feet up on the fine wooden coffee table in front of him. His boots scratched the surface of the wood and he smiled. The table had been a present from Albus. In a short time he found the bottle of Fire Whiskey empty, and as he was still conscious he decided he needed to rectify the situation.

"Mippy!" Severus bellowed, with a slight pop a house elf appeared.

"Yes, Master Severus," the house elf answer immediately.

"Bring me another bottle of Fire Whiskey," Severus ordered.

"Uh, yes master Severus."

The house elf disappeared with a pop.

Severus waited, but the house elf didn't immediately reappear, that was strange. Severus wondered if perhaps his sense of time was affected by the large amount of Fire Whisky he'd drunk.

What Severus was unaware of was the heated discussion occurring in the Kitchen of Hogwarts, as the house elves tired to decide what their highest duty was.

"Drinking all that Fire Whiskey not good for Master Severus," Winky argued.

"But house elf gives master what master ask for," complained Mippy who was being restrained by some other house elves.

"I already tell you, Headmaster Dumbledore ask Winky to have all house elves watch out for Master Severus and that is what we do."

"Master Severus alive, Dumbledore dead and Dumbledore he bad father," Mippy continued to argue.

"Mippy! That not for house elf to judge, but giving Master too much Fire Whisky and no food, that bad elf judging," Winky countered.

Mippy hung her head and then nodded. The elves, who had been holding Mippy, let her go and she ran into the nearest wall to punish herself, then gathered a tray of food.

"Mippy!" Severus bellowed.

The house elf appeared with a popping noise carrying a tray laden with chicken soup, various sandwiches and pumpkin juice.

"What's this? Where's my Fire Whiskey?" Severus bellowed.

Severus made to stand, so as to tower over the house elf, but was already drunk enough that he had trouble getting his feet off the coffee table and underneath him. Mippy quickly put the tray of food aside and caught her master as best she could, guiding him back toward the couch in his quarters, one lurch and near fall after another, as though he were a gigantic Weeble.

"There you go Master Severus," Mippy magicked the coffee table over in front of the couch and began setting Severus up for his meal, unfurling the napkin and hopping up on the couch to tuck it in around Severus like he was a toddler.

Severus was initially shocked beyond speech.

"Mippy what on earth do you think you are doing?" he asked, careful not to bellow his question this time, as he realized that his unusually efficient metabolism was already well on the way to giving him a hangover.

"Master Severus needs to eat. Master Severus also needs hangover potion, Mippy get." Mippy hopped down off the couch and with a pop disappeared and reappeared a moment later with a potion vial in her hand.

"Mippy I asked you for another bottle of Fire Whiskey, not a meal nor a potion. What are you up to?" Severus asked again, he was being unusually patient with his house elf, because as house elves went Mippy was very young and had never before given him reason to be upset with her.

"Mippy not want to disobey master, but other house elves say Mippy must do what is best for Master and sometimes that means not bringing master what he asks for but what he needs. Winky and the rest of elders say must do what master Severus' father say do, but Mippy not think that good reason. Mippy confused. Mippy have to do what other house elves say, but Mippy punish self for not be bringing Fire Whiskey," finally the young house elf wound down.

Severus took the hangover potion from the tray, opened it and swallowed it down as quickly as he could and grimaced

"Merlin's bollocks, I'd forgotten how vile I'd made that potion taste in order to discourage the students getting drunk," he said to himself. Then he turned to address Mippy. "You've been a good house elf and you've no reason to be punishing yourself. The fact of the matter is your master has been acting like a perfect idiot." Severus paused for a second to consider what he wanted. "Bring me a pot of tea and then I'll want to ask you a few questions."

Severus tucked in to the meal Mippy had brought as she reappeared with the tea.

"Mippy, you said the elder house elves said you had to do what my father said to do. What did they mean by that?" he asked curious to see if Mippy would reveal whether the house elves really knew his newly revealed secret and whether they had told Mippy.

"Headmaster Dumbledore told Winky that you were in a bad mood and all the house elves have to look after you," Mippy replied.

"I see. Mippy what made you call head master Dumbledore my father?" he asked trying to remain calm as he interrogated the young house elf.

"The older elves told Mippy just tonight. They say is secret among Hogwarts and Prince Manor house elves," Mippy answered.

Severus suddenly thought he knew why he had such a young house elf. She was too young to have first hand knowledge of his parents' affair.

"Thank You Mippy, you can leave."

Severus finished off the meal Mippy had brought and began to think about what he had learned today and what more he wanted to know. He'd talked to Albus, next he needed to talk to his mother if he could figure out a way to do that, maybe through his Uncle. He'd also wanted to talk to Minerva. He also still had classes to teach and he had the damnable Marriage Act to deal with. That, in and of itself, would be a nightmare.

Severus thought that he was back to his old self and that his plunge into the Fire Whiskey bottle was just a minor aberration, after all, he'd faced Voldemort as a spy, a traitor, for years and it hadn't caused him to break down. Something as simple as learning that his pedigree was a bit different than he thought wasn't going to unravel him.

He probably should have been exhausted given the events of the day and the amount of Fire Whiskey he had consumed, but perhaps because of the hangover potion he found himself wide awake and restless well after his normal bedtime. He decided to do rounds; though this late it was unlikely he'd find students out and about the castle. Severus found himself after awhile in the astronomy tower. He had never come back to that part of the castle since that horrendous night. He could feel the night coming back to him as surely as if he'd looked into a pensieve, suddenly the emotional pain of that night and that of this afternoon combined to strike a massive blow to his heart. He crumpled to the ground, holding on to the edge of the tower wall. He started to cry as he hadn't since he was a lad.

Hermione approached the Astronomy tower on her Head Girl rounds. The tower was the one place she hated to patrol since Dumbledore's death. She was thinking about Dumbledore and how much she missed the old wizard, when she heard someone crying. The cry sounded like a male with a lower voice so she guessed it might be a 7th year, perhaps someone upset by the Marriage Act. She half expected to see Draco Malfoy when she turned into the tower entrance and so was very startled when instead she saw her potions professor Severus Snape sitting on the floor of the tower with his back against the wall cradling something small, flat and rectangular in his hand. Hermione was so shocked she just stood there silently, not making her presence known and so she heard him as he started talking to the object in his hand.

"I wish you were here Lily, you'd help me understand all these feelings. I was never any good with feelings, you knew that. And now I'm so confused. Before I got this news, I always loved him, even when I was angry with him, but now I can't seem to get past the anger and the hurt. Lily, what do I do? I don't want to feel this way. How do I get past that he rejected me, that he wouldn't be my father?" Severus' voice cracked with the emotion.

Hermione's heart ached for her professor, but at the same time she could hear the scorn she imagined that Ron and Harry would heap on 'the greasy git bat of the dungeons,' if they could see him like this. She wanted to go out and comfort him, but she knew he'd be mortified. She was torn about what to do. She thought perhaps she should let someone else know he was up here hurting, maybe Draco or Headmistress McGonagal, but finally she decided to just return to her quarters and let him fend for himself, though she did promise herself to keep a close eye on him in the near future, until she knew exactly what his tears were about and what she could do to ease them.

Author's Note: I wasn't completely happy with this chapter and that's what has caused the big delay in posting. Trying to set up certain plot elements while keeping characters in character as much as possible and also trying to foreshadow events is trickier than it looks. Hope you can forgive me and I promise what appear now to be plot holes will get filled, just hang in there for another chapter or two, then I can start on the real HGSS stuff!


	6. Chapter 6 Exposure

Severus woke a bit disoriented. He had half expected to find himself on the Astronomy Tower, morning dew covering his teaching robes, and himself cold and stiff with a variety of aching muscles, instead he was in his quarters in his own bed dressed in his favorite nightshirt and feeling surprisingly well rested. As he thought about things he began to be disturbed, as he couldn't remember how he got from the tower to his rooms.

"Mippy," he called, deciding to find out if the house elf knew how he had gotten off the tower.

The house elf appeared a moment later with his morning cup of coffee.

"Yes master," the elf answered as she handed him the cup of coffee.

"Mippy, I don't seem to recall how I got down from the Astronomy Tower last night. Can you enlighten me on that?"

Mippy's ears flopped around a bit in distress and her face colored.

"Mippy want to bring master to rooms, but Mippy know her house elf magic not yet strong enough to apparate person without their permission. Mippy decide go get older house elf but then Headmistress Minerva she come, she move you with wand magic."

"Minerva brought me down here?"

"Yes, headmistress treat master like momma treat baby boy, take clothes off, put night shirt on, give you sleeping potion, tuck in covers and kiss forehead. Tell you 'sleep well', then tell Mippy to 'watch over you'."

Severus didn't know whether to be angry, embarrassed or touched by Minerva's actions. He thought perhaps he should opt for pretending it hadn't happened. In fact, he was beginning to think he should try to do that with the whole 'Albus Dumbledore is my father' business but he just didn't seem to have the ability to let it slide completely, but he had decided he was going to try for as much normalcy as he could. He'd try to carry on his day's routine as much 'by the book' as he could and he would deal with the extra distractions life had thrown his way in his spare time and not let them take away from his primary duties. After all, he was still Hogwarts' Potion Master and the Head of Slytherin House and he intended to take pride in his positions.

Severus walked into the Great Hall for breakfast and went up to the head table to take his rightful place with the other teachers. It seemed as though everything was fine. He did find it a bit awkward making casual conversation with Minerva, both because Mippy had told him that Minerva had tucked him in last night, but also because she had admitted to him that she knew about Albus being his father. Severus wanted to speak to Minerva privately about what she knew and when she knew it. Before Severus could propose a time for that conversation the morning post owls arrived bring in the Daily Prophet. The students received their copies of the wizarding newspaper a few seconds before the staff at the head table and so they had already had a chance to unfurl their papers and begin reading the lead story before the staff members had so much as finished giving their post owls bits of their breakfast as tips. Severus had just given the owl that brought his morning mail a piece of bacon, when he noticed all the murmuring and furtive looks from the student tables in his direction. He unfurled his daily Prophet and began to read a lead story that ran beneath pictures of himself and Albus Dumbledore.

_**Dumbledore's Killer Also His Son, Spy & Ex Death Eater Severus Snape**_

_An anonymous source inside the Ministry of Magic reveals that the recent Marriage Act has forced the revelation that numerous individuals believed to be half bloods are actually pure bloods. One such case to come to light this week was that of Professor Severus Snape, Potion Master of Hogwarts. When the Professor received his notification of the Marriage Act from the Ministry of Magic as a pureblood wizard, he came to the Bureau of Vital Statistics to see about what he believed to be an error, like __  
__others he was given the opportunity to mix his blood with veritaserum and then cast a spell on a quill and parchment to see his true pedigree written. One can only imagine the shock and despair Professor Snape must have felt when he saw the irrefutable truth that his true father was Albus Dumbledore, the man who begged him to kill him so that he, Severus Snape could continue to spy on the Dark Lord for the Order of Phoenix (See inside story Pensieve Memories Reviewed). _

"Well, that answers one question," Ron said.

"What question would that be Ron?" asked Hermione her irritation with the article showing.

"Where a Slytherin got all that courage from, I mean given all the things Snape did to fight you- know-who, he's got to be about the bravest wizard in all England, present company excepted, Harry."

"Yeah, I think your right Ron, Slythrin through and through but with the heart of a Gryffindor."

"Well, Severus Snape might have legendary Gryffindor courage, but Albus Dumbledore just went down in my estimation. Seems to me he was a very cowardly lion indeed. After all what Wizard leaves the responsibility of his witch and child to some other man?" Hermione asked.

Ron and Harry looked uncomfortable and the other female Gryffindor students at the table began to nod their heads.

The conversation at the Slytherin table was a little different than at Gryffindor.

"I always knew he was a pureblood," Pansy Parkins offered.

"Sure a pure blood, but hardly a Slytherin. He should have been a Gryffindor. He wasn't just Dumbledore's man he was his son. Wait until my parents hear this. Merlin's beard! They made him my Godfather, they'll have a fit!" Draco Malfoy added.

"He shouldn't be our head of house," Gregory Goyle offered and heads shot round to look at him, as Goyle was not known as an idea man.

"You've got that right Goyle. You know every once in a while that noggin of yours does come up with an idea," Draco praised his friend with a smile.

After watching and listening to the murmuring going on in the hall, Severus could take it no more. He threw down his napkin onto his plate, stood up leaned over to speak quietly into McGonagal's ear.

"Minerva, please allow me to speak to the school," he requested in his most controlled voice.

She looked at him and considered for a moment and then nodded her assent.

Severus took a few strides and soon stood at the podium where his father had often stood to address the entire school. He tapped the lectern with his wand and cleared his throat.

"If I could have your attention please. I'm sure the lead story in today's Daily Prophet has peaked your interest and you are all curious about its veracity," he paused for a moment and there were murmurs of 'Yes, is it true?' and 'It couldn't be, could it?'

"I felt it would be best if I simply addressed you all here and now rather than let rumors get started. The truth of the matter is much as reported in the newspaper. Yesterday, I like many of you received a notification letter from the Ministry of Magic about the Marriage Act for Muggle Borns and Pure Bloods. However unlike most of you who received your letter I was shocked to receive mine, as I had always been led to believe that I was a half blood, that my father was a Muggle by the name of Tobias Snape. I investigated what I believed to be a simple clerical error and as the newspaper article indicated I was given the opportunity to ascertain my true paternity. Now while my being a pureblood means I will have to comply with the Marriage Act, I can see nothing else that should be affected by the news. I shall still be your Potions master and the Head of Slytherin," at his last declaration a murmur of descent arose from the Slytherin table.

A hand shot up from a 6th year girl at the Ravenclaw table, "Yes, Miss Carter," Severus called on the girl.

"Will you be changing your name sir?"

"What?"

"Well, your not exactly a Snape now are you, sir?"

"I suppose that's true, but Snape has been my name all my life and while perhaps it doesn't truly belong to me, believe me neither does Dumbledore. No, if I change my name and that's still very much an if, it would be to my mother's maiden name Prince, not to Dumbledore."

"Are you angry at your father?" a question came from somewhere out in the hall.

"Who asked that?" Minerva snapped and Hagrid roared, "That's none yer biznus."

Severus raised a hand toward the staff table. "It's all right. It's a logical question; unfortunately, I don't have a logical answer for it, at least not this morning. Now I think we should all finish our breakfast as first classes begin in just a few minutes."

As Severus started to return to his seat at the head table Remus Lupin intercepted him, "What a very Gryffindor thing to do Severus, addressing the school like that, though that last bit was quite Slytherin."

"Sod off, Lupin!" Severus said as he strode past him and on out the great hall.

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to update but I've been watching my poor Colorado Rockies get swept, I now need condolences (Reviews work). I really didn't want to mess to much with the final book and the last battle and all, but I finally felt I had to have at least 1 living Marauder to make this really work well. Well, now Severus pretty much has it all out there except finding his mother's portrait to have a discussion with and then maybe finally I can start moving forward with the HGSS stuff


	7. Chapter 7 Letters & Floo Visits

The midday meal brought another sortie of owls to the Great Hall, mostly family members of students wanting to know if they had heard whether or not the Daily Prophet story was true. Severus himself was nearly buried under a parliament of owls all trying to deliver letters to him until Hagrid of all people stepped in to help him.

"Here now none of that, ye'll all get t' him soon 'nuf. Now those what needs replies over here, the rest of ye, get over there and Professor Flitwick will charm the letters of the lot of ya," Hagrid soon had the owls all sorted out and headed to the owlery for treats, while Severus' was left with a stack of mail with which to contend.

"Thank you Hagrid, I think," Severus muttered the last bit as he stared dubiously at the stack of scrolls.

"Whadduh yer figure they all want, uh Severus?" Hagrid stumbled a bit over what to call the potion master as he'd generally always been deferential to the man and called him Professor Snape, but now he wasn't certain if he would want that.

"I suspect different people want different things of me and most are going to be very disappointed, I'm afraid."

"Why's that."

"I don't plan to be the public's buffoon. I couldn't help that this news got out into that rag, though if I could prove how it did and who was responsible, believe me a certain young witch at the Ministry of Magic would rue the day I walked into her office and have good reason to remember my Death Eater past. No Hagrid, this is my news to deal with as I see fit."

At that Severus picked up his many scrolls and left.

Minerva said to Hagrid, "I must make that boy read more Burns."

"Wuz that, yer saying?"

"The best-laid plans o' mice an' men: Gang aft agley

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,

For promis'd joy!" she quoted.

"Fancy said, but I guess that's 'bout the size of it."

Severus retreated to his quarters for his lunch, having Mippy bring him some sandwiches and crisps and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. He started through the letters of those who had owls waiting in the owlery. Most of these letters were invitations to high tea or dinners at his earliest convenience. He was startled by the names, they read like a Who's Who of Wizarding England.

Two letters requesting his presence came from his Uncles, Alex Prince and Aberforth Dumbledore. 'Well, those two invitations he would have to accept.' He thought to himself. He set down to craft replies and found that signing his letter to his Uncle Alex had been easy, a simple Severus scrawled after his reply worked, but with Aberforth he wasn't sure what he should put and somehow he felt strange signing his full name, but in the end he did. Yet Severus found what the impertinent young Ravenclaw had asked him was coming back to him more and more. Should he change his name? Perhaps he would discuss it with his Uncle Alex.

_Later that evening at a gathering of well-connected Slytherin parents_

"Listen to me, I've known Severus Snape, man and boy, for over a quarter of a century," Lucius Malfoy began.

"All well and good but how long have you known Severus Dumbledore?" a father in the group asked.

"There's no such person, and those of us, who saw the Sorting Hat set on Severus' head, heard it declare 'Slytherin' and then clapped as he made his way to our table, know that full and well," argued Malfoy.

"A misjudgment by a young witch as to what old wizard to trust is no reason to condemn her son years after the fact. After all it is his father that is the real bastard," a mother at the gathering called out.

"Why Albus Dumbledore must have been nearly a century older than Snape's poor mother!" another added.

"Yes, yes. You see, here you all are getting ready to condemn a man you've known most of your adult lives, and who is no different today than he was a few days ago." Malfoy argued.

"Isn't he? You know what they say, 'Blood will out', and in this case at some point his Gryffindor color will show," the man who had been causing the most dissent thus far, Sydney Plunkett, if Malfoy remembered correctly, went on ranting.

"Perhaps they have, perhaps Gryffindor courage explains how he spent nearly two decades spying on the Dark Lord while the rest of you blew with the wind, cringing and cowering and hoping someone would stop the madness," Narcissa Malfoy added.

"And have you become a Muggle lover now, Narcissa?" Plunkett asked.

"No, just a grateful wife and mother," she answered.

"Yes, well for ever son and father wearing a Death Eater mask he _may_ have rescued, how many did he kill to protect his Order of Phoenix cronies or some unnamed Muggle?"

"Who cares? The issue isn't what he did, but what he can do, what he will do. Can he instill the appropriate values in our children or not?"

"I have no quarrel with Severus, but I believe the answer is no. Not because I think he hasn't been a fine Head of House in the past, and not that I don't think he's Slytherin enough for the job. I just think a man needs to take some time away from those kinds of responsibilities when he's had a sudden life-changing event. He needs to live with this a while and decide how he's going to let it impact him, then he can come back as head of Slytherin" the voice of reason came from James Parkins, Pansy Parkins father.

A round of murmurs went round the room, the general consensus being that Severus should be asked to step down as Head of House of Slytherin until school's end, then the question could be revisited. The group requested Lucius Malfoy take the petition to Headmistress McConagal that very night.

"May I come through and speak to you Headmistress?" Lucius asked from amidst a green glow in Minerva's Fireplace

"It's rather late can't this wait until morning, Lucius?" she asked.

"I think it had best not, I promise I won't take much of your time."

"Oh all right come through," she said a bit disgruntled and then stepped aside to make sure there was room for her visitor.

Lucius stepped through and dusted himself off and then faced Minerva without his normally smarmy mannerism.

"Is something wrong Lucius?" she asked concerned by his lack of smugness if that what it was that made him seem so unlike himself.

"Yes, I'm afraid there is. I come as an unwilling bearer of bad tidings. The news about Severus' paternity has not settled well among the parents of the children from Slytherin. There was just a meeting at my manor and well, it didn't go well."

"What was decided by this group?" she asked, clearly concerned.

"They asked me to bring you this petition," he handed over a rolled up parchment which she simly placed behind her on her desk without examining. "It is signed by all but one family, asking for Severus to immediately be removed as Head of the House of Slytherin for the remainder of the academic year."

"Merlin's beard, you can't do this to him, not now!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not, I told you one family didn't sign the petition."

"But you brought it!"

"Yes, I thought it would be better if a friend brought him the news, if he still counts me as a friend," he paused a moment. "Minerva, how is he? How is this news settling with him?"

Minerva looked at Lucius, and try as she might, she could find no guile in Malfoy's face at that instant.

"You care about him, don't you?" she asked, a note of surprise evident in her voice.

"For generations now the Malfoys have never had more than one son, but I always wanted a younger brother. When Severus came here in my fifth year, he was one of the boys I was put in charge of as Slytherin prefect. Severus needed me more than the other boys. You see, he was the only one who didn't have a wizard father," Lucius shot a look over his shoulder at Dumbledore's portrait and was glad to see the look of chagrin on the old wizard's face. "And to be honest, I don't think his mother was that much of a witch, or a mum to him, either. He soaked up attention like a sponge. "Maybe if he had just had,' Lucius stopped his thought and simply finished up, "well spilt milk."

"Yes, indeed" Minerva said thoughtfully, "and some more to be spilled if I do what these parents want."

"You don't have much choice Minerva. I know these families, they'll take it to the Governors and then it will be a real problem, not just for Severus but for you, the students and the school."

"I suppose," she sighed.

"Look why don't you get Severus up here and we'll talk this out. In the long run, maybe it would be better for him to be off for a while, just have his teaching duties and not have to worry about the little buggers' troubles. He can sort himself and this new heritage thing out, get married and then come back better than ever."

"For Merlin's sake, I forgot it was that damnable Marriage Act that started this whole fiasco!"

"I didn't, Narcissa has been in hysterics about the damn Act. First it was that her Draco couldn't marry Pansy, and now it's that her dear sweet Severus will have to find some Muggle Born to marry," for the first time that evening Lucius Malfoy seemed like himself as he complained about his wife and seemed a bit jealous of her attentions to another man.

"Well, let me get Severus in here and get it over with," Minerva said with a bit of an ironic smile.

"Perhaps we should cast one of Severus' Muffilato charms?" Lucius suggested.

Minerva nodded to him that he should, as she called to Severus through the Floo system.

"You wanted to see"– Severus stopped short when he saw Lucius in the headmistress' office.

"Good Evening Lucius, to what do I owe the pleasure, or am I overestimating the situation?"

"Just a might," Lucius said and then he pointed to McGonagal's desk where she had laid the petition.

'What's that? A petition for my removal from the school as an undesirable element?"

"No, they wouldn't dare go that far. The Slytherin familes are asking you to step down as Head of House for the rest of the year."

"_Et Tu, Lucius_?" Severus purposely misquoted.

"No, no Severus, you will not find my name among your traitors."

"But you bring their instrument here. Do you think my blood is somehow more polluted with his," Severus suddenly turned and pointed at Dumbledore's portrait, "Gryffindor blood than it was when you thought my father was a mudblood?"

" No, you wretched fool. I thought I might help you think of a Slytherin way to handle this, that's all," Lucius said his irritation with the younger wizard beginning to show.

"Severus, I really think Lucius is trying to help you," Minerva added trying to calm the two men.

"Stay out of this old woman, I've yet to grind my axe with you."

"Severus! You show your headmistress more respect than that!" Dumbledore finally snapped, he'd been wanting to for quite some time.

Severus turned to the portrait and quickly drew his wand, but before he could utter a single syllable, Lucius had Severus wand arm knocked down and had slipped his gloved hand over Severus' mouth. Severus was so shocked at his friend's behavior that he didn't struggle. Meanwhile Minerva shushed Albus, twice.

"Much as I would have loved to have seen what curse you might have unleashed on Albus' portrait, I'm sure eventually you'd regret it if you destroyed the portrait, and besides knowing the blasted Ministry there's probably some ordinance against it," Lucius said with a smirk.

Severus glowered at him for a second then slowly a smirk started to cover his face, and then quite suddenly Minerva found herself facing two grown wizards who were laughing like drunken teenage boys.

"Wonder what the charge would be?" Severus asked

"Wanton destruction of public property?" Lucius offered.

"Mmm, yes a fortnight's public service."

"It'd be like serving a detention."

The last comment took the two as hilarious and they started in laughing again, much to Minerva's displeasure.

"If you two are going to act like third years fresh back from their first trip to Hogsmeade you can bloody well go do that in Severus' quarters and kindly get out of my office. I deal with what to do about the petition in the morning," she grabbed a handful of floo powder threw it in the fireplace and looked expectantly at the two men, who rather contritely departed.

After "the boys", as Minerva was thinking of them, left she stopped to ponder some of what Lucius had said. What would Severus have been like if not for his parents' mistakes? What sort of boy would he have been if raised by two loving parents who prized magic? She sighed, they would never know and perhaps for the better, for the adversity Severus had lived through forged the irreplaceable game piece he became in the war against Voldemort. Now it remained to be seen, if he could be remolded back into a human being who could care about himself and others once again.

Author's note: I had a defense of this chapter all typed up and then decided not to second guess myself, you'll either love it or hate it on your own (review and let me know which). Oh the first quote is from Robert Burns To a Mouse and the misquote is of course of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Et tu, Brute (translation: Even you, Brutus?) I also apologize if this doesn't sound quite British enough, just a poor American trying not to make it to offensive to my "cousins".


	8. Chapter 8 Talking to Lucius

Lucius magically cleaned the soot of his and Severus' clothes and then took a look around his old friend's quarters.

"Egads, Severus perhaps you do need to get married. Your quarters are downright depressing."

"Think they need a woman's touch, do you?"

"Well, they need something. They're too austere and well down right gloomy."

Severus went to his liquor cabinet.

"Can I offer you something to drink, a brandy perhaps?" he offered.

"A fire whiskey would suit me," Lucius answered as he plopped down in one of a matching pair of leather chairs.

"I'm fresh out." Severus said, and then called to his house elf. "Mippy."

Mippy popped in immediately.

"Yes, Master Severus."

"Bring a bottle of fire whiskey," Severus saw the hesitation in his house elf's face and added. "It's not for me, it's for my guest."

Mippy smiled, "Yes, Master Severus, right away."

"You have to get permission from your house elf to drink?" Lucius inquired, a hint of teasing in his voice.

Mippy popped back in with the bottle of fire whiskey and Severus waived her off, so she popped back out.

"Not exactly," Severus answered as he poured a glass of fire whiskey for Lucius. "I did overdo a bit last night on fire whiskey, and the other house elves gave Mippy a hard time of it," he handed Lucius his drink, made himself a brandy and took a seat in the matching leather chair to the one Lucius was sitting in.

"Seems Albus has instructed the house elves to look out for my welfare."

"Really? How fatherly of him," Lucius said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Indeed."

"Have you talked to his portrait?" Lucius asked as he sipped his whiskey.

"Yes, that was one of the first things I did, though the conversation didn't last long."

"Oh, why's that?" Lucius asked though he felt he had a good idea given his friend's temperament.

Severus stood and began to pace. This was a behavior Lucius remembered from his friend. Severus tended to need to move when he was about to become emotional.

"He prevaricated at first, saying he didn't know exactly what I wanted to talk about. When I showed him the pedigree I got from the Ministry of Magic and asked if he knew I was his son, he admitted he did and then went on with some cock and bull story. He said he'd told my mother when they got involved that he wouldn't marry her and she must be careful not to become pregnant. All this was supposed to be because the remnants of Grindlewald's supporters were waiting for a new Dark Lord and he did not want to put anyone he loved in danger. He as much as blamed her, said he should have remembered he'd taken a Slytherin to his bed," Lucius watched, as his friend grew more agitated in retelling the story.

"He said when she told him she was pregnant with me, he refused to marry her and she cursed him."

"What sort of curse?" Lucius found himself enthralled with the story of Albus Dumbledore and Eileen Prince's ill-fated affair.

"He would never be able to acknowledge in any way to any person that I was his son," Severus replied in a subdued voice.

"And the curse stuck? Like an Unbreakable Vow?"

"So he says." Severus answered defensively.

"Well, if that's so, maybe it puts things in a different light."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I heard Albus was your father, all I could think was how could a man have treated his son as he treated you. How could any man ask his son to place himself in such constant danger as you were when playing the double agent and how could he ask you to end his life, especially," –

"Don't, don't go there. You have no idea what he was going through, what the Resurrection Stone had done to him!" Severus interrupted Lucius before he could say more.

"And that gave him the right to put you, his son, in the position to forever be reviled as his murderer?" Lucius asked incredulously.

"He made sure that wouldn't happen," Severus argued.

"Are you defending him?" Lucius asked amazed. "Because if you are I can point out a few more times when he turned his back on you, even when you were just a boy and other times when he used you like a damn pawn in a game of Wizard's Chess!"

"He did what he had to do to defeat Voldemort!" Severus shouted, forgetting his own reluctance to use the Dark Lord's name.

"Yes he did, and all his little game pieces did their jobs, and now you live in a world where you will never have to answer again to the Dark Lord or to anyone else for that matter," Lucius paused for a moment hoping Severus got what he was implying.

"Live Severus, live your life, find some winsome and willing witch, marry her and get her big with child. And for Merlin's sake get away from this accursed school."

"What?" Severus, who had calmed a bit and was simply listening to Lucius talk, seemed as upset by Lucius' last piece of advice as he had by anything else.

"Severus, stepping down as Head of House isn't a huge loss. You've given too much of your life to the House of Slytherin and spent too much of your life in this castle. It's time to leave school, boy. Time to grow up and have a real life. You'll never have that here, not when your so-called colleagues all remember you as the boy the Gryffindor Marauders called Snivellus."

"Lucius," Severus said in a warning voice.

"I didn't say I see you that way, but that some of the other teachers here do. How many of your fellow teachers once taught you?"

"A few, but look here, you were supposed to be helping me figure out how to handle the parents' petition to remove me as head of house, not convince me to give up my position here all together."

"Yes, yes I know, but tell me Severus, are you really all that content being a teacher here at Hogwarts?"

Severus looked at Lucius. He stopped to think, 'Content? What was that? He'd lived so much of his life doing what he had to, to survive, the thought of being content, of being happy, never crossed his mind.'

"Well?" Lucius prompted.

"I don't know, I don't think I can answer that question right now. I just need to deal with one thing at a time." He turned and looked at Lucius. "Help me figure this out, Lucius and please don't press me anymore about leaving the school, not yet. Not when it feels like I'm being forced out."

"Of course, I'm sorry I didn't mean to push you so hard tonight, but I think perhaps it does show that James is right."

"James?" Severus asked, trying to fight down his knee jerk reaction to the name.

"Parkinson," Lucius said, realizing belatedly that his friend would be thinking of his nemesis Potter when he heard the name James. You need to have time to think about how things have changed for you and how they will change in the not to distant future. Being relieved of head of house duties will make that more possible, and I think that's the answer of how to handle this. Before 'things' get out, make the preemptive strike and ask Minerva to 'let' you step aside so you can deal with the news about your parentage."

"Yes, that would let me save face, but what about my little snakes? Who's going to look out for them if I step aside?"

Lucius smiled at Severus calling the Slytherins his 'little snakes'.

"None of the other teachers are Slytherins are they?

"No, they aren't and the Head of House really needs to be a Slytherin. I suppose Minerva could bring in someone to be a House Parent," Severus said, and then looked pointedly towards his friend and fellow Slytherin.

"Oh no, not me!" Lucius said putting down his fire whiskey and shaking a finger in negation.

Severus smirked. "Yes, I think I'll make that request of Minerva tomorrow morning and suggest that you come and take over for me. Do you think Narcissa might come be a house parent too?"

"I think you're going to guilt her into doing it, and then my wife and son are going to be miserable, which means I'm going to be more miserable."

"Well, we can find out together if it's true then."

"If what's true?"

"Does misery really love company?"

Lucius stood and clapped his hand on Severus' shoulder.

"Well, I'm going to leave before you come up with anything worse than Cissy and I being house parents." He moved over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Good night. Lucius."

After Lucius left, Severus found himself pondering the conversation. Two things stuck with him, that he had defended Albus and that Lucius thought he should leave Hogwarts. Both thoughts disturbed him. How could he defend his father when the man had denied him? And why did he feel so anxious about the thought of leaving Hogwarts. Surely there were other things he could do than teach?


	9. Chapter 9 Conversations

Severus flooed Minerva first thing in the morning to tell her he needed to speak to her about Slytherin House business. He hoped he might also get a chance to ask her about what she knew about his mother and Albus. She suggested they have breakfast in her office, and after insisting she remove Albus' portrait from the room, he agreed. So he found himself seated at a table having his morning coffee while Minerva clucked over him like a mother hen about his 'poor eating habits'.

"Well, if that's really all you're going to eat, then go on tell me what you and Lucius came up with to head off the Slytherin families attempt to oust you as head of house," Minerva encouraged him to start.

"I'm going to step down," Minerva glanced up at him from her cup of tea, momentarily startled but then nodded in understanding of his tactic.

"I shall say that the recent change in my circumstances has made me want to have a bit less responsibility so that I may consider my options as far as the Marriage Act goes," Severus paused for a moment then added. "I'd appreciate it if it were to seem that I never knew about the petition."

"Mmm, well I won't out and out lie about it, but I certainly won't volunteer anything either. But Severus what will the Slytherins do for a Head of House?"

"Ah, yes, well since there are no other instructors from Slytherin, I suggest that you appoint House Parents from among the families. I'd recommend the Malfoys."

"The Malfoys!" Minerva spluttered. "The other Hogwarts families would remove their children from the school in a twinkling of an eye."

"Why because of the Malfoy's previous involvement with the Dark Lord?" Severus asked.

"Of course because of that, no one wants a former Death Eater around their children."

"Really?" Severus drawled.

"Oh Severus, it's different with you. People know you were a spy for the order and that everything you did, you did at Albus' behest."

"Yes, doing my father's work, like the dutiful son I didn't know I was," he said sardonically.

A great clamor rose up as their morning mail arrived, cutting off whatever retort Minerva might have had. Minerva went to her window and opened it to allow half a dozen owls entrance to the office. She and Severus began separating owls from mail and giving treats to the birds from what was left of their breakfasts. They then sat down and began rifling through the mail in companionable silence.

"Oh for Merlin's sake!"

"Something the matter, Minerva?" he asked.

"The editor of the Daily Prophet is requesting permission to send a reporter and photographer here to Hogwarts to do an article on how the Marriage act is impacting the 7th year students. Of course that's just a cover to get here and pry into your situation," Minerva was as upset as he'd seen her in quite some time.

"I suppose you're right, but I'm not sure there is anything you can do about it. If you turn down the request, they'll simply run articles intimating that your hiding something and that will cause all sorts of problems with the families," Severus maintained a calm demeanor as he discussed the issue with Minerva, but inside he was just short of panicked. The thought of a reporter grilling him about his new situation was nauseating.

"Yes, I suppose your right. Well, I can at least determine when they can be here and for how long. I'll set it for Saturday and limit their time to a few hours."

"I fear I shan't be here this weekend, I have, um, family business to attend to," Severus said with a smirk.

"Oh yes, well that can't be helped can it." Minerva replied with a smile.

"Minerva, there is something I've been wanting to ask you,"

"Let me guess. You want to know, how long I've known about your true paternity," Minerva suggested.

"Yes, you already acknowledged that you knew something I just want to know what you knew and when," he paused for a moment, 'and who else knew.

"I knew before Albus did," at the shocked look on Severus' face she added. "Eileen confided in me. Your mother and I were friends, once upon a time."

"When was this?" he asked startled to learn that Minerva and his mum were friends.

"We were both apprentices here at Hogwarts in the academic year 1957/1958. I under Albus and she under Slughorn and then the following year we both taught when Slughorn and Dippet decided to go on sabbaticals."

"But I was born in January of 1960 so that would have meant," Severus trailed off thinking.

"That she became pregnant with you while teaching here at Hogwarts, yes, dear boy she and Albus began an affair while she was an apprentice and continued it as she began teaching."

"Did anyone else know about the affair?" he asked, wondering whom else had known about his paternity. Did all the older professors know he was Dumbledore's son?

"They were very discrete, I don't think anyone knew besides me, well except of course Aberforth."

"Why of course Aberforth?" he asked.

"They met at the Hog's Head in a room he kept just for them, at least that's what Eileen told me."

"Why did she confide in you?" Severus asked.

Minerva smiled. "You don't know much about women do you?"

He glowered at her.

"Every woman needs a confidant and I was the one person she felt she could trust."

He looked at her suspiciously. "A Slytherin trust a Gryffindor? Not bloody likely."

"Oh really, seems to me you used to trust Lily Evans."

"We were children!"

"And we were two young women, both who thought they were in love with their dream man. We were both sorely mistaken."

"Oh?" Severus' curiosity was peeked now.

"That's not important," she said making it very clear she wasn't going to discuss her own romantic errors.

"You wanted to know what I knew and when I knew it and who else knew, well there you have it. I knew Eileen planned to get pregnant, that she was successful and that Albus was furious with her for going against his wishes."

Severus was quiet for a while.

"I had best be going, I have a class first thing."

Yes, of course."

"You will deal with the Slytherin families?"

"Yes, but Severus, I really don't know about the Malfoys as House parents."

"Please Minerva, they were both prefects in their day."

"I'll tell you what, let's let the Slytherin families choose, alright?"

"Alright. Well, I'll see you later in the Great Hall for Midday meal." With that Severus grabbed his stack of mail and left Minerva's quarters.

_Meanwhile in the great hall_

"I wonder where Professor Snape is?" Hermione asked looking about the Great Hall.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to receive his mail in public again," Ron suggested.

"Yeah, that was a bit embarrassing, that whole flock of owls bearing down on him yesterday," Harry agreed.

"I suppose it could be that. This must be very disconcerting for him. I mean, first of all to learn he's not really quite who he thinks he is and then to have to look back at all his interactions with Dumbledore and wonder if he knew he was his father and never said anything or if he never realized," Hermione pondered.

"Yeah, well Dumbledore must have had an inkling that he could be Severus' father. I mean he must have known he'd slept with Eileen Prince at about the right time to be the father of her child," Ron argued.

"Well then why didn't he marry her?" Ginny asked, joining the conversation.

"Snape probably wants to know that too." Harry added. "Do you think he'll change his name, like he mentioned."

"I don't know, I suppose it depends how awkward he feels keeping the name Snape," Hermione said.

"You know if I was him I'd change it, because it would sort of give him a fresh start." Harry offered his opinion.

"Yes, and Prince is a much nicer name than Snape, I bet his future bride would be much happier become Mrs. Prince than Mrs Snape." Ginny Weasely offered.

"Oh Ginny, leave it to you to come up with that for a reason for him to change his name. Well, come on, we've got double Potions with the professor this morning. Let's not aggravate him by being late. I'm sure he's probably in a foul mood today."

As they walked to the dungeons Hermione found herself trying on the professor's alternate name. Professor Severus Prince, Professor Prince. It did have a nice ring to it.

Much to everyone's surprise Professor Snape's mood was no surlier than normal and the Gryffindor students for some reason no longer found him so intimidating. Perhaps it was thinking of him as part Gryffindor himself. At any rate the potion class passed uneventfully, until the class was nearly over and the students were cleaning up and putting things away, a Slytherin student raised her hand.

"Yes Ms. Green," Snape acknowledged the student.

"Is the rumor true, Professor? Are you stepping down as head of house?" she asked in a tone of voice that made it clear she hoped he'd say no.

"Well, I don't know where you heard the rumor, but it is true. Headmistress McGonagall will make the announcement at dinner this evening."

"But why Professor? If it's because you think we don't want you now, you're wrong! There may be a few idiots in the house," she looked at Malfoy, "who think the news of your parentage some how makes you less of a Slytherin, but the rest of us know that's rubbish."

"I thank you for your vote of confidence, but really this was a personal decision and had nothing to do with the opinions of others. I simply need to reduce my responsibilities some so that I can concentrate on the changes about to occur in my personal life."

"Who will be our Head of House then?" Malfoy asked.

"As none of the other teachers are Slytherins you will be having House Parents rather than a Head of House."

"House Parents?"

"Yes, the Slytherin parents will chose among themselves a couple to come and oversee the students in Slytherin House."

The Slytherins all groaned and the Gryffindors looked at each other with a single thought, 'Glad it's them and not us.'

At the bell, Snape dismissed the class and the students gathered their book bags and headed out of the dungeons to their next class.

"Boy, I've never been so glad to NOT be a Slytherin as now, imagine if your parents were chosen as House Parents! How embarrassing would that be to constantly have your Mum and Dad here?" Ron gave a little shudder as he contemplated his statement.

"Yeah, I wonder who the families will chose?" Harry asked.

"I'll bet they chose the Malfoys," Hermione said with her usually air of always being right about things.

"Why the Malfoys?" Ron asked.

"Well, they're the most influential of the Slytherin families, and Draco told me when he became head boy that both his parents were both prefects when they were at Hogswarts," she answered

"Yeah, well if they do chose the Malfoys, I bet the rest of the families raise a ruckus," Harry offered.

"Yeah I bet they will. But you know it might be fun to watch Draco having to put up with having his parents here," Ron said with a smile.

"Indeed, and just imagine Lucius Malfoy having to deal with homesick first years."

"Yeah, wonder if he'll have to supervise detentions?"

"Well, what I wonder is, if Snape really is doing this for personal reasons or if the families forced him out now that they know he's Dumbledore's son?" Hermione pondered just as they reached the classroom for their DADA lessons.

"Don't suppose we'll ever know that for sure. But it seems at least as likely as him needing time to find a wife." Harry said.

"Good grief some poor Muggleborn witch is going to have to marry Snape," Ron said as he entered the classroom.

"Five points from Gryffindor for speaking disrespectfully of a professor," Remus Lupin said.

"But Professor Lupin!" Ron started to protest.

"Ah, Mr Weasley you should speak respectfully of Professor Snape and any other of your professors whether you are in the presence of a staff member or not. Besides I think you will find that there's always a witch willing to marry a fellow like Severus. After all he's a tall, lean, dark-haired, powerful wizard with a reputation as both a hero and a bad boy. He'll be beating them off with his wand," Remus said with a laugh.

Harry and Ron looked speculatively around their class to see that the young witches in the class all had looks on their faces that seemed to confirm Lupin's opinion.

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to get up but it's a busy time of year, in fact you may find that I may not be posting more than maybe once a week from now until the semester ends. Sorry, but I will keep posting I promise because eventually I want to hook up our favorite potion master and our Gryffindor know-it-all!


	10. Chapter 10 Uncle Mine?

CH 10 The Pure Blood Prince

Severus found himself dreading the coming of the end of his teaching day, as it meant that it would soon be time for him to journey into Hogsmeade to meet with his Uncle Aberforth. After speaking with Minerva he'd almost cancelled, but then thought better of it, as he thought Albus' younger brother might be able to shed some more light on his parents' relationship.

So, shortly after his last class, he headed towards the tavern. His long legs ate up the distance faster than he would have liked and soon he found himself standing beneath the creaking old sign of the boar's head that dripped blood onto a cloth. He took a deep breath to steal himself against the stench of the place, it always smelled of goats, and pulled open the door.

"Ah Severus, you actually came. Didn't know if you would," Aberforth said with a smile.

"I keep my word, sir," he said, and Aberforth heard the undercurrent of anger in the younger man's voice. He understood it, but decided to ignore it.

"Come, come with me. We'll talk upstairs," Aberforth turned and headed for a stairway that looked impossibly narrow and steep, and yet somehow was not once one stood upon it. Severus was distracted for a moment thinking about the magic involved in the stairs.

"Here we are." The older wizard said as the reached the top of the stairs and opened a door. "It's not much, but it'll make do." The room Aberforth showed him into gave every appearance of being a fine Victorian sitting room, with chairs and couches, a roaring fire and several tables, one laden with food and the other with decanters of various liquors. The room had the added attraction of NOT smelling of goats but of a type of incense which Severus was having trouble trying to name.

'Would you care for a drink? I've got mead and elf wine, and of course fire whiskey," Aberforth mentioned.

Severus noticed that the Fire whiskey was Ogden's so he felt safe asking for a shot of it.

"Yes, thank you I'll have a fire whiskey."

"Good choice," Aberforth said as he turned to fix them both fire whiskeys, Severus looked about the room.

"Sit down, sit down lad, and rest a bit, have a bite of food."

"Alright," Severus sighed, took the glass of fire whiskey his host offered and sat down in a chair opposite the one Aberforth chose. He looked over the plates of food and actually found some appetizers he likes.

"I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to come here? Aberforth asked.

"Not really, I assumed you simply wanted to meet your newly discovered nephew," Severus answered in an insolent tone.

"It's not as though I've never met you before Severus," the older man countered, trying not to lose his temper with 'the boy', as he thought of him

"Indeed but were you aware of our," Severus paused for a moment seeking the correct term, "kinship?"

"No, although now that it has been revealed, I'm not at all shocked. I did know of Albus' affair with your mother," Severus moved uneasily at Aberforth's choice of terms.

"Don't be embarrassed, it was their indiscretion not yours."

"Did Albus ever talk to you about my mother?"

"Ad nauseam, I was the only he could talk to about her. At first he tried to resist how he felt about her because, well Albus had many reasons, but the one he told her was he was worried that the followers of Grindelwald, who were still at large and simply waiting for the coming of a new Dark Lord, might harm her to get back at him for killing Grindelwald," Severus nodded Albus' portrait had told him this story.

"But in truth, I think he was afraid of the prophecies by Cassandra Trelawney that had to do with our family. At any rate his love for Eileen eventually overcame his reluctance to be involved with her, though he certainly did want to keep the relationship a secret."

"What were these Trelawney prophecies about?" Severus asked.

"Oh, it was a bunch of rubbish, something about how," Aberforth changed the quality of his voice a bit so as to sound like a soothsayer as a relayed the prophecies, "a white wizard of the family Dumbledore will sire the Dark Lord's right hand, the rejected son will unwittingly kill his father and fall to the great snake, but not before his betrayal of the riddle," Aberforth paused for a moment, and gave Severus an odd look. "You know in hindsight, I guess that prophecy's not quite so much rubbish I thought. I mean interpreted in a certain way I suppose Albus could be the white wizard after all Albus does mean white and you could be the rejected son. Hmm."

Severus drank a bit more of his fire whiskey and nodded his head ever so slightly.

"It seems that like Oedipus, in trying to avoid the prophecy he made it possible for it to come true," Severus observed.

"So it seems, and so perhaps all's well that ends well."

Severus harrumphed. "You're not the one who has lived the life of the rejected son."

"No, no I'm not," Aberforth said in a tone that said 'I'm sorry', without saying it.

Severus again shifted uncomfortably. He disliked pity in any form, and if his Uncle insisted on becoming maudlin, he'd soon be leaving.

"Don't worry Severus, as a man who despises pity, I'm not apt to give it to someone of a like disposition." At Severus look of surprise he added, "No I did not use legilimens on you, I didn't have to, I've been a bartender for 40 years."

"Glad you cleared that up. I was beginning to wonder if I was slipping," Severus said in an amused tone.

"I'm sure you are still a first rate occlumens," Aberforth reassured him.

"Look, I really did have a good reason for asking you here this evening. After I read about Albus being your father, I realized that he left something here for you," Aberforth said as got up and proceeded to open a drawer in a credenza that sat against one of the walls of the sitting room.

"At least I think it must be for you. I know it belonged to Albus, and so I thought he'd left it for me, but it won't open for me. So I'm assuming he left it for you, in case you ever learned the truth."

He abstracted a wooden box from the drawer and proceeded to place it in Severus hands. The box had five letters engraved upon it, a large D on the box's top and the letters A, P, W and B, one each around the four sides. Though he wasn't to keen on remembering when it was he heard it, Severus remembered once hearing his father's full name, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Severus held the box and found that his hands were trembling slightly, though he wasn't sure he could say exactly why.

"Well try to open it lad," Aberfort urged.

Severus rested the box on his lap and placed his right hand on the lid. He looked up at Aberforth who nodded at him. He applied a slight pressure to the front and back of the lid to keep it firmly in his hand and then lifted, the box opened easily to his touch.

"You couldn't open it?" Severus asked incredulously.

"No I couldn't budge it. I even tried a variety of charms on it. Nothing worked," he answered.

"So let's see what's in Albus' box, shall we?" Aberforth urged.

Severus leaned back a bit, not sure he wanted to share the contents of the box with his uncle or anyone for that matter, but on further consideration he realized he might need his uncle to identify the contents. Severus opened the lid wider and the contents came into view. There wasn't much in the box; just a leather-bound book and a silver ring.

"I've wondered where that ring got to, it's been in the family for ages. It's been passed down from father to eldest son for centuries."

"Here you should have it," Severus said offering it to Aberforth.

"Nonsense, it doesn't belong to me. Weren't you listening? It goes from father to eldest son, that's you, Severus. Albus was the eldest and you are his only son."

"But I'm not a Dumbledore," Severus argued and tried to push the ring on the older man.

"Bullocks your not! Your blood said otherwise. Now put the bloody thing on!"

Severus surprised himself by doing exactly what his uncle requested and as he did he felt the slight tingle of magic.

"See the ring knows, and it will protect you."

"Protect me?" Severus asked somewhat bewildered.

"Yes, it has some limited ability to protect the wearer from hexes. Won't save you from everything, but it can turn aside minor hexes and lessen the severity of others," Aberforth answered.

"No wonder Albus seemed so powerful in duels."

"Yeah, a bit of a cheat if you ask me," his uncle said mater of factly.

"So what's the book? Aberforth asked.

Severus picked up the book and thumbed through it. It was a diary, though not a usual one. The inside page read '_An Account of Important Events in My Son's Life' A. Dumbledore_

"Well?"

"It's a book of his remembrances of me," Severus said shakily.

"Ah, well, I'll leave you in peace to read it then, shall I?"

"I don't want to seem rude, but I'd like to leave now. Can I bother you for some floo powder?"

"Of course, and I don't think you're being rude to want to go home to read that. I will however think it rude if you don't occasionally stop in to see me."

"Yes, all right," he agreed. "Goodbye," he paused for a moment trying to decide if he was being overly sentimental, decided he wasn't and continued, "Uncle."

"Goodbye Nephew, be well."

With that Severus threw a handful of floo powder in the fireplace, said "Hogwarts" and stepped into the fireplace.

Author's Note: I didn't expect to have another chapter up so soon but this one wrote itself.


	11. Chapter 11 Required Reading?

Ch 11 The Pure Blood Prince

Hermione needed a private place to read and think, but she didn't want to do what she needed doing in her own rooms, as she felt that that would sully her only retreat from the world. She'd never needed so much to retreat from the world as now, Hogwarts was no longer the same friendly place it once was, aside from the memories of terrible things that had happened there, so many 7th year students were hurting because of the Marriage Act and those unaffected were resented by those who were, that it felt as though everyone was at odds with each other.

She finally settled on the Room of Requirement, she could read the damn letters she'd received from the ministry about her prospective suitors, and she could perhaps do some research about the truth behind the marriage act, if the Room would cooperate. The room had at least provided her with a couple of couches a coffee table and a nice fire in the fireplace, so she began to read.

Severus had decided he would read Albus' book of remembrances, but he didn't want to do so in his office or quarters. In case he found what he read extremely upsetting, he didn't want to feel as though those few places he felt safe in were somehow tainted, so he settled on the Room of Requirement. As Severus entered the room, he was surprised to hear a feminine voice cursing.

"Those bloody sodding bastards at the ministry!" Hermione ranted.

"Miss Granger such language, if I didn't know you thought you were alone in here, and if I didn't agree with your sentiments so wholeheartedly I'd being taking copious amounts of points away from Gryffindor at this very moment," Severus said as he came fully into the room.

"Professor, how did you get in here?" Hermione asked without stopping to think whether it was entirely appropriate for her to question one of her professors about his actions.

"Same way you did I suppose, I stood outside the door thinking that I needed a private place to read something," he surprised both Hermione and himself by simply answering her question rather than snarling something at her.

Hermione noticed the book in his hand.

"Is that what you've come here to read?" she asked timidly, pointing to the book.

Severus looked at the book as if he'd forgotten he was holding it and answered her in that deep and silky voice of his with the most drawn out single syllabic answer she'd ever heard, "Yes."

"Um, well the room is plenty big I suppose we could share it," she suggested.

"I'm not sure that would be wise," he replied.

"Oh, why not?"

"Well, we both obviously craved privacy when we came here and privacy does mean being alone, does it not?"

"I suppose, but well it's not like I really wanted to be alone to read these," she pointed to the letters on the table in front of her. "I just didn't want certain people to be bothering me as I read them and thought about them."

"What are they?" he asked.

"Letters from the ministry telling me about wizards who are interested in asking for my hand in marriage," she answered in a disheartened voice.

"Well, at least it looks as though you've got quite a few to choose from, as of course you should have," Severus commented.

Hermione stared at him a second not sure what to say. She wanted to tell him just how awful her choices were, but then he'd tagged on that bit about how she should have quite a few to chose from and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Some choices, go ahead take a look at the lot of them, maybe you can tell me which I should accept, as I have to accept someone eventually," with that comment she sighed and flopped down on one of the two couches in the room.

"Um, well really if anyone should help you with this selection perhaps it should be your parents or your Head of House," he suggested as he sat down on the couch opposite hers.

"No, I'm not telling my parents about this, they'd never understand and Professor Lupin? No, I don't think he'd be right for the job either. Oh it doesn't matter, they're all awful."

"What makes them so awful?"

The youngest one in the stack is 53, they are all some sort of mid level bureaucrat either at the Ministry or Gringots and in their personality profiles they all sound deadly dull. Here read one for yourself," she picked on out of the stack at random and handed it to him.

"Delmer Farnsworth, age 58, Assistant Undersecretary for New and Improved Household Magical Charms, hair brown, eyes brown, height 5 feet 7 inches, weight 15 stones ten, 15 stones ten! Merlin's beard I'm half a foot taller than that and I'd consider myself portly at 15 stones ten!"

"Yes, he must look a bit like Slughorn. Keep reading you haven't yet read about his hobbies."

"Likes: watching quidditch and listening to the wizarding wireless. Thoughts on marriage and children: a wife should keep a clean orderly house and make sure the children are well behaved. This git sounds like a Neanderthal."

"They all do. I think this stupid Marriage Act was just a way for the losers in the ministry to get wives."

"Well you don't have to marry any of these prats. You can simply marry Weasley, he's a pureblood."

"No I can't marry Weasley. Haven't you read the Marriage Act?" she asked a bit huffily.

"No actually, at first I didn't think it applied to me and later when I found out it did," he paused and hefted the book in his hand. "I had other things on my mind."

"I can imagine," she looked at the book and wondered what it was but felt she'd better not pry at least not yet, maybe he'd feel like divulging his secrets later after they'd talked a bit more, that is if she could keep him talking. "The Marriage Act stipulates that older bachelor wizards get sort of a head start as it were, the younger bachelor wizards can't start asking witches for their hand until 6 months after the Act is in place and a witch has only six months after she receives her first requests to make a decision. So I will have to marry someone before Ron is even eligible to ask me."

"That's unfair, not that the whole bloody Act isn't unfair, but by giving the older wizards a head start as it were, they are condemning a generation of younger witches to marry older wizards!"

"Yes indeed, I mean I wouldn't mind it so much, if at least the wizards who were interested in me came from the younger end of the older wizards and weren't so well deadly dull."

Severus considered the girl for a moment.

"What do you want in a suitor Miss Granger?"

"Well, he should be under forty, intelligent and well read. He should prize education enough to let me continue mine and he should be modern enough to let me have a career despite having children."

"What no stipulation that he be tall, dark and handsome?" he teased.

"Why professor, if I said that someone might think I was describing you," Hermione gave him a smile as she answered

Severus puffed out a small laugh and grinned as he replied. "I doubt that, as no one has ever called me handsome."

"Oh yes they have, as prefect I've listened to quite a few girls with crushes on their potion master."

"Silly adolescent girls," Severus replied and made a harrumphing noise.

'And what about you, how will you go about deciding which witch's hand to ask for in marriage?"

"I really hadn't thought too much about it, as I said finding out that I am a pureblood has been quite the revelation, I haven't really had time to think over the ramification yet."

"Well you better think on it. You are just in the older group aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure, what's the cut off?"

The younger group is 17 to 38, and the older group is 39 to 60," she replied.

"Yes, I am just in the older group then. Well, I'm not going to worry much about it because I'm sure when Cissy gets here she'll take care of it."

"Cissy?"

"Oh, Draco's mother Narcissa Malfoy. She and Lucius were a few years ahead of me when I was a student here at Hogwarts, they were rather like an older brother and sister to me. I suspect that Narcissa will make up a list of eligible Muggleborn witches and then start having dinner parties and throwing us together until one of them seems like a proper fit. She will the undoubtedly want to handle all the wedding details. Merlin's Bollocks why did I ever suggest having them as the Slytherin House parents?"

"Do you not get a long with them any more?"

"What? No of course I do, it's just this situation will bring the maternal out in Cissy. It will of course be amusing to see Lucius acting as host to a bunch of Muggleborn witches. Well, I'll have to let her fuss over me as it will distract her from how distraught she is over Draco and Pansy."

'_Narcissa Malfoy maternal_? _Amusing to watch Lucius play host to Muggleborns? Obviously Severus saw a different side of the Malfoys than most people did.'_

"You know, speaking of Draco and Pansy makes me think of another reason I came in here this evening," Hermione started.

"Oh," Severus prompted her, not knowing quite why he found it so enjoyable to talk to the 'know-it-all'.

"Yes, I've been wondering if this Act was actually all that well researched. I mean the claims about the problems with Pureblood marriage resulting in stillborns and squibs and,"–

"I don't know about the squibs, but I do know that purebloods are having a lot of trouble with miscarriages and stillborns. The house of Slytherin is a house of nearly all purebloods and nearly all only children. I also know, and don't repeat this especially as they are coming here as House parents, but I know Lucius and Narcissa had a hard time conceiving Draco, many miscarriages and a stillbirth and then she had many miscarriages and another stillbirth after Draco. Finally Lucius said enough, he couldn't stand to see what it did to her emotionally, and so he asked me to brew him a potion to make him infertile."

"How sad, but even so there still ought to be away around mandating marriages between Purebloods and Muggleborns and forbidding Purebloods to marry. Why couldn't Purebloods have Muggelborn children by artificial insemination?"

"Do what?" Severus asked, totally in the dark about what Hermione meant.

Hermione spent the next few minutes explaining the concept to Severus.

"Fascinating, but I'm not sure it would work."

"Why not?"

"Well a magically baby is given more than just genetic material, they are given magic."

"Then how do you account for Muggleborns and squibs?"

"There are various theories about that. One is that Muggleborns occur when a witch or wizard dies and there are no members of her or his family there to absorb the magic, so the magic is released into the world and may come to rest in some Muggle woman's womb so that her child is born magical."

"And squibs?"

"Well, the theory I've heard on that is that a magical couple have sex and produce a child, but their magic isn't in tune with each other so no magic is transferred or not enough to truly make the child a witch or wizard."

"So it's as though they are physically in synch but not magically?"

"Yes that's it."

"Hmm, it sounds as though the Healers of St Mungo should research the options, also I looked and there's going to be a problem, the ratio of unmarried Purebloods to unmarried Muggleborns is about 3 to 2, so about a third of the Purebloods won't find a mate, even though they've been told they have to marry. Now how will the Ministry deal with that?"

"Probably by putting their heads in the sand like they do with most everything else they cock up."

"Perhaps you could bring it to the attention of the Wizengamot," Hermione suggested.

"Me, bring it to the attention of the Wizengamot! Have you gone balmy, girl?" he asked and stood up and began pacing.

"No, they would listen to you, you're a war hero and you're Dumbledore's son."

"No, I will not trade on that," he said angrily turning on her.

Refusing to be frightened by him she said "Then you are angry at him," referring back to the questioned he'd been asked the first day his parentage had come out.

"I, I don't know. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm angry at my mum and other times I'm just sad," he said softly and sank back down on the sofa.

Suddenly Hernione had a thought.

"What is the book you brought here to read?" she asked.

"_An Account of Important Events in My Son's Life by A. Dumbledore" _Severus said sadly.

"He kept a diary about you?" Hermione asked a bit surprised.

"I guess so, I mean I haven't read it yet. I just got it from Aberforth."

Hermione sat quietly, wanting to ask so many questions and knowing she didn't have the right.

"Go ahead ask, I know you are dying to, everyone is. You want to know if I'm Albus Dumbledore's son, why wasn't I given his name? Why didn't he raise me? Why didn't he marry my mum? Why'd he let an abusive Muggle marry his witch and raise his son? All are good questions. Albus' answers are as weak as Longbottom's brewing skills."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry, what have you got to be sorry for? You've done me no great wrong, and if the 'I'm sorry' was meant to be a form of pity, well take it back for I've never wanted any of that."

Hermione waited a beat.

"It's just, well it's hard to see someone in a lot of pain and know they don't deserve to be and to also know you can't ease it."

He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. "I've underestimated you Granger. I truly have."


	12. Chapter 12 Changes

Ch 12 The Pure Blood Prince

Severus had had every intention of reading Albus' diary after Hermione left the Room of Requirement, but he found himself caught up in thoughts about the girl, no young woman. There was a time he had found her very annoying, but now he found her company most agreeable. She had a keen intellect, a passable sense of humor and she wasn't at all hard to look at, though as her professor he really shouldn't notice such a thing. From the things she said, it seemed she might even find him, well at least not as objectionable as so many others did. It was a bloody shame that the Marriage Act would condemn Hermione to marry some addle-pated twit with all the personality of white sauce, who would have her popping out babies like a brood mare instead of furthering her education. If he were her husband he would let her attend University or do an apprenticeship. Her husband! Merlin's Beard where did that thought come from?

Severus broke out of his reverie realizing it was time for his nightly rounds, and as he left the Room of Requirement to seek out curfew breakers, a twinge of sentimentality struck him when he became aware that this would be his last night making rounds as Head of Slytherin House, for tomorrow his old friends Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy would come to Hogwarts to become the House Parents of Slytherin. He straightened his shoulders and set off at his normal pace banishing the wayward thoughts that tried to take up residence in his heart and mind.

Hermione found herself thinking about Severus Snape as she headed to Gryffindor Tower. He'd seem so much more pleasant this evening in the Room of Requirement. She wondered if it was because they were alone or if it was the recent news he had had about Dumbledore being his father? When he laughed or smiled he looked positively charming. Good grief! Was she too becoming a silly adolescent girl with a crush on her potions master?

As Hermione reached the portrait that guarded Gryffindor's common room she became apprehensive, the atmosphere amongst the seventh years wasn't what it once had been. There were simply too many Gryffindors facing futures different than the ones they had envisioned. Before the marriage act Ginny and Harry thought they'd be together and Neville thought he'd be with Luna. Everyone assumed that she and Ron would end up married. Though now that she'd had time to look at her other suitors' profiles, she'd begun to wonder if she and Ron really had what it took to make a go of it. Ron was as big a fan of Quiditch and Wizarding Chess as the rest of the wizards vying for her hand; the only thing in Ron's favor was he was a good 35 years younger. After all, what did she and Ron really have in common? Being Harry's friend? Fighting Voldemort? Neither of those things seemed to be the foundation of a marriage. She sighed, gave the password and tried to put on a cheery face for whomever she would meet in the common room.

Severus was summoned to the headmistress' office before breakfast the next morning. He had an idea what the summons was about; the Malfoys were arriving today. Minerva no doubt wanted him to smooth the transition. Well, he would try, but he hoped they would be quick about picking up on their duties, as he did intend to spend the weekend at Prince Manor, away from the nosy reporters who would overwhelm the school.

"Ah, Severus, good you're here," Minerva said and motioned for him to come and join her at a table that had been set up in her office. It was laid with Hogwarts best linen and, a good though not the best, set of its china and appropriate silverware and crystal water and juice glasses. There was a basket of buttered toast and a selection of jams and marmalade along with numerous covered dishes which Severus' talented nose identified as Fried Eggs, Sausages, Black Pudding, Kippers and Oatmeal. There were carafes of water and pumpkin juice, pots of coffee and tea and a pitcher of milk. Severus thought that if the table were sentient it would have groaned and was equally sure that half his house could have dined on what was on the table.

"Lucius and Narcissa will be here soon. I thought the four of us could discuss their duties as house parents over breakfast."

"Is that what this is? I thought it was some feast I hadn't heard about," Severus remarked with his usual droll manner.

Before Minerva could think of a satisfactory retort the flue in her office leapt up with the familiar green flames of flooing and Lucius Malfoy emerged from the fireplace, he took a step forward and turned around to watch his wife emerge from the flames.

"I do detest traveling by floo," Narcissa said as she flicked her wand to banish all trash of ash from her personage.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Narcissa," Minerva said, managing to actually sound welcoming.

"Thank you Minerva. Good Morning Sevvie darling," Narcissa cooed, and reached up to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

Minerva rolled her eyes at Severus, and he didn't need to be one of this generation's greatest Legilimens to know Minerva couldn't believe Narcissa Malfoy's behavior, nor that he let her call him Sevvie.

"Narcissa, I will make you a deal. I won't call you Cissy in front of staff or students and you won't call me Sevvie," he paused a moment and then added, "or any other silly terms of endearment."

Narcissa flounced over to a chair at the breakfast table and flopped down in it. Picked up the cover on one of the dished and selected a rasher of bacon and replied, "All right, on three conditions"–

"Three"– Severus protested rather loudly.

"Three, and don't interrupt it isn't polite. First," she said and plopped the bacon down on the plate in front of him. "You must eat more, you are too thin. Second, you must let me help you with this idiotic Marriage Act fiasco. If you must marry a Muggle born witch, at least let me help you find an appropriate one. And finally, please promise me we won't have to do this," Narcissa waved her fingers around the room indicating the castle and presumably indicating the house parenting duties, "for very long."

"I'm afraid I can't do the latter, as that's not really up to me, it's up to the other Slytherin families," he answered.

Yes, darling," Lucius countered. "You can't put that on Severus, it's the rest of the Slytherins that caused this fiasco not him."

"It's Albus Dumbledoor caused it, if you ask me," Narcissa said softly, but contemptuously.

"No one did ask you," Minerva said sharply.

"Ladies, ladies, please what's done is done and assigning blame isn't useful," Lucius jumped in to play peacemaker between his wife and former professor.

"Shall we get down to the business at hand? How we are to handle the transition from my being Head of Slytherin House to Lucius and Narcissa becoming the House Parents of Slytherin?" Severus suggested.

"Well, I don't see as it should be that hard, after all we were both students in Slytherin house, prefects in fact, and we know how Slughorn ran Slytherin House when we were there."

"Yes, precisely why Severus should explain your duties to you. Horace Slughorn was an abominable Head of House. He cared only about his own comforts and developing associations with people he thought would one day be famous or powerful. It is no wonder so many of you became Death Eaters. You never had anyone truly looking out after you while you were here at school," Minerva stated her opinion of her former colleague quite bluntly, and then stared down the three Slytherins, as though daring them to contradict her. Each of them looked as though they might try to defend their old Head of House, but thought better of it. Finally Lucius spoke up, as he usually did for the three of them.

"Well then, what do we need to know Severus?"

Severus thought for a moment. "Well, the students of Slytherin House are a different lot than those of other houses. Aside from being purebloods,"–

"Yeah, you were the one and only exception and here it turns out you were a pureblood after all, wonder if the old Sorting Hat knew that?" Lucius asked with a smile.

"Perhaps, the damn thing said I was suited for any of the houses but for my mother's sake I'd be a Slytherin."

"Really, suited for any house, that's quite a compliment Severus," Minerva observed while nodding her head. "The Sorting Hat would have been saying you were as Brave and Chivalrous as a Gryffindor, as Intelligent and Studious as a Ravenclaw, as Hardworking and Loyal as a Hufflepuff and as Ambitious and Cunning as a Slytherin."

"Yes, well that does sound like Severus, doesn't it?" Narcissa asked.

"I don't know about the ambitious part, the only thing I can recall him ever wanting was the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, oh well and as a boy the hand of Lily Evans."

"Lucius," Severus warned his friend and as he did a mild storm brewed around the potion master making his cloak billow and his hair lift while sparks erupted from the end of his wand.

"Lucius, Severus must I continually remind you two that you are no longer teenage boys!" Minerva sputtered at them.

The storm around Severus abated.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Severus continued, adopting his lecturing voice. "Aside from being purebloods, they are, by and large, only children from wealthy families. As such they tend to be tutored at home, which means they have no real sense of classroom etiquette and they don't know how to organize themselves to attend classes."

"Oh yes, I remember that, it must have taken me almost the entire first year to learn how to properly pack my book bag and to remember to not only do my homework but to take to class," Narcissa commented with a slight not of amusement in her voice. Lucius nodded his head.

"Yes, and I lost a lot of point for Slytherin my first year because I didn't have the patience for my classmates and instructors. I was used to my tutor allowing me to study what I wanted when I wanted to study it," Lucius added.

"So you understand most of the first year's problems," Severus concluded.

"And the rest of the problems would be homesickness, correct?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, but I think you will find that their homesickness is rather different than yours was." Severus said in a way that Lucius couldn't resist questioning.

"How so?"

"I doubt you were homesick for your house elves," came the sardonic reply.

"What?" both Malfoys spluttered at the same time and Minerva sat up more attentively.

"This generation of Slytherin parents prefers to allow their children to be raised primarily by house elves and tutors. So the children aren't missing Mummy and Daddy, but the family house elves that have taken care of them. So in the next few weeks you will find house elves from outside the school popping in to tend to their young masters and mistresses and in the process causing all sorts of chaos. To nip that in the bud you must make sure that some of the Hogwarts house elves have taken an interest in the new Slytherin students, so that they will take the place of the other house elves, and well, will keep the other elves away."

"Severus, Why is it I never knew this was an issue in Slytherin house?" Minerva asked.

"Well, it's something fairly recent and I found no reason to bother you with it. "

"Have the Hogwarts house elves been helpful?"

"Oh yes, they don't have a problem with watching out for the younger Slytherins and as the students grow older and begin to make friends among their housemates they tend to become less dependent on the elves."

"So what else do we need to be aware of?" Lucius said, beginning to have real respect for his younger friend.

"Well, I'm sure you remember how cliques form within the house?" Severus asked and Lucius and Narcissa nodded, so Severus continued. "You must watch that the forming of these cliques does not undermine the camaraderie that all the students should experience as members of Slytherin House. As you work with older students, say 3rd to 4th years you must deal first with the girls reaching puberty and then the boys. In this, having Narcissa around will be useful, as I've always just sent the girls off to Poppy when they need all that feminine advice."

"And the boys?" Lucius asked.

"It's not that hard to sit them down and give them a talk explaining why their voices are croaking and their sheets are messy, though they are all embarrassed to know you know about the latter," Severus added with a smirk.

"I suppose the thought that any adult male was ever a teenage boy is one that not only hasn't crossed their minds but a thought their minds would probably reject," Lucius said with humor.

"Do you teach them contraceptive spells?" Narcissa asked pretended Lucius and Severus' most recent comments hadn't happened.

"Of course I do. While there are some parents who believe it's a bad idea, I think it's irresponsible not to do so. After all they are teenagers, they are going to 'fall desperately in love' at some point and decide to express that love physically, and if they don't know a contraceptive spell there's a chance for an unwanted pregnancy. It's a matter of which is worse, knowledge of a spell which may lead to behavior their parents disapprove of, or an unwanted pregnancy?" Severus asked.

"Aside from these issues you have the stress of students studying for OWLS and NEWTS and the distractions of Quidditch and romances between the students. It will keep you busy." Severus said with a smile.

"Severus I think we have a problem," Minerva pointed out. "Narcissa and Lucius need to be close to the students to be effective House Parents, but the parents of the children in the other houses will be uncomfortable if Lucius and Narcissa live in the castle."

"What if they live in a home adjacent to the castle?" Severus suggested.

"How would they know when the children need them?" Minerva asked.

"There could be a magical connection between Slytherin Common Room and the home's foyer" Narcissa suggested.

"Yes, but it should be warded so that only people who belong in Hogwarts can pass between the house and the castle." Severus added.

"Alright that sounds acceptable. Severus, can you help Lucius and Narcissa with the spells necessary to create a comfortable home for them and have it properly warded?"

"Lucius and I should be able to get the house together rather quickly," Severus smiled at Narcissa. "We will leave the decorating to Narcissa. I believe you will need to be involved in the warding as may Professor Flitwick."

"Oh yes, well let me know when the wards need to be set."

"Now if you don't mind, I will need to ask someone to cover a few of my morning classes.

"I can cover your classes," Minerva offered.

"Forgive me Minerva, but while you are the best Transfigurations Instructor Hogwarts has ever had and a worthy duelist, the only potion I would trust you to brew is a cup of tea, and even then, I think I'd rather you had the house elves help."

Lucius and Narcissa both tried to cover their laughter.

"Well really, you needn't be insulting about it! If you don't want me to teach your classes, who did you have in mind?"

"As my first two hours this morning are a double session with first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, I think Miss Granger could manage the class quite handily," he answered.

"Oh, yes of course. I'll have Hermione excused from her other classes," Minerva quickly agreed, her ruffled feathers over Severus' earlier comment quickly forgotten.

"Yes, well I'd best get down to the Great Hall and speak with her about the class, and then I will meet you two, outside the castle after I have escorted Miss Granger to the Potions classroom."

"All right then, we will see you in a bit," Lucius said as his younger friend swept out of the headmistress' office in his normal billow of robes.

Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table with the other seventh years absorbed not in her breakfast nor in her studies but in her plans to undo the Marriage Act. She felt certain that getting professor Snape to present the facts to the Wizengamot was key to overturning the act but she had no idea how to go about gaining his cooperation, as he seemed so vehemently opposed to trading on his newfound parentage.

"Miss Granger," Severus called to the young witch seated at the Gryffindor table, but she was lost in thought so he found he had to repeat himself. "Miss Granger," he said a bit louder.

"Oh Professor Snape, I'm sorry I was rather deep in thought," she said apologetically. "What can I do for you sir?" she asked pleasantly as she rose from her seat at the Gryffindor table and at his gesture began to follow the professor out of the Great Hall.

"I need you to take my first class today, it's a double class of first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Headmistress McGonagall has arranged to have you excused from your classes," he explained.

"You want me to take your class, sir?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I need to help the Malfoys get moved in here on the grounds of Hogwarts and you should be more than capable of supervising a class of first years in their first brewing assignment," he explained.

"Thank you for having so much confidence in me, Professor Snape," Hermione said a smile brightening her face.

"Yes, well see that you do nothing to make me regret this decision," Severus replied, his words at odds with the warm feeling that had spread through him at the young witch's smile.

"Oh I won't, I promise."

"I will introduce you to the class, put the day's brewing assignment on the board and then adequately terrify the little rotters so that they will behave for you."

"Yes sir," she said with a smirk, which again did things to Severus to which he was unaccustomed.

Severus opened the Potions' classroom with his usual flourish and Hermione watched the young Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws scramble for their desks.

'Was I ever that young?' she thought to herself.

"Your brewing assignment is on the board," Severus said and with a flick of his wand the ingredients and instructions began to appear. "I am needed elsewhere this morning, so you shall have a substitute teacher, Miss Hermione Granger, a super seventh year Gryffindor. Miss Granger is to be obeyed as I would be, and you should know that as a prefect she has the power to take house points. Should I hear of any inappropriate behavior towards your substitute instructor, there will be detentions to serve," with that Severus turned and left the dungeons.

Severus walked outside the castle gates and scanned for the Malfoys, when he spotted Lucius and Narcissa off to the side of the castle he walked briskly over to join them.

"So is this the area you've chosen for Malfoy Manor North?" he asked teasingly.

"Really Severus, how droll, but yes this is the spot," Narcissa said with a smirk.

"All right then," Severus said and then took his wand out and faced the Dark Forest.

"Accio Lumber," he commanded and soon random trees from within the forest uprooted themselves and began processing themselves into boards. He then waved his wand again and said, "Accio Granite, Accio Marble." Soon blocks of granite and slabs of marble appeared on the site near the boards.

"So what do you have in mind? I suppose you'll want a master suite and a lounge and a library, a dining room and a hall in which to give parties," he suggested.

"Yes, and at least two guest rooms and an impressive foyer," Narcissa answered.

"Does that meet with your approval Lucius?" Severus asked.

"Of course whatever Cissy wants," Lucius commented distractedly, as he looked at the building materials Severus had amassed.

Severus nodded, and then faced the building site. He began waving his wand about like an orchestra director and muttering over and over, _"nemus calx fio a domus"_, and the lumber and blocks of granite began to form into a small manor house. The slabs of marble became the floors and walls. After a time Severus sagged a bit and then sat down on the ground in front of the completed house.

"It's wonderful Severus!" Narcissa cried out as she entered the home and began exploring it.

"You will definitely need to put on some of the finishing touches and decorate. I will leave it to you to contact Minerva to have her set up the connection between your house and the Slytherin Common Room with what ever wards she deems appropriate."

"A wonderful job Severus, I never knew you had any architectural training," Lucius commented.

"I don't, but my," he hesitated for a moment choosing his words carefully, "step-father Tobias Snape, was the gaffer for a construction crew. I visited a few of his worksites and I guess I must have learnt more than I realized."

Severus looked at his creation for another moment and then held out a hand to Lucius, "And now, I must be going. I need to see if the first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have overrun dear Miss Granger."

"Right, see you later in the Great Hall for midday meal," Lucius said in dismissal. Severus nodded and headed off to the side of the castle to a special somewhat hidden door that lead to the dungeons.

Lucius turned to his wife, "Did he say 'dear Miss Granger'?'

"I believe he did," Narcissa laughed. "Well now I know how to help him with the Marriage Act."

"How?"

"I'm going to throw every unsuitable Muggle born witch at him that I can find, until he realizes that his heart has already chosen the right witch for him," she answered with a mischievous smile.


	13. Chapter 13 Revelations Over Tea

Hermione watched as Snape left the classroom. She'd always admired the way he could get his robes to billow. He looked so dashing. She shook herself from her reverie and turned to the class.

"Alright, you heard Professor Snape. Your directions are on the board, please get out your Potion kits and caldrons and begin preparing your ingredients. I will circulate around the classroom to evaluate your techniques."

"Miss Granger," a hand shot up from a young Ravenclaw girl. Hermione didn't know the girl's name, she looked at the desk to see if she could find a seating chart, but not finding one she found she simply had to point at the girl.

"Yes, you have a question?"

"Are you The Hermione Granger?" the girl asked her question in a tone of voice that sounded much like hero worship.

"I suppose so," Hermione answered reluctantly and the classroom broke out in confessions of admirations for the young witch and questions about the final battle and her Order of Merlin.

"Stop! Look I realize you may consider me a bit of a minor celebrity but really I am here to help you with today's lesson. Good grief, you act as if you aren't in the class of the real hero of the war," Hermione chided the class.

"The real hero?" a boy asked.

"Yes, Professor Snape was the real hero of the war. Don't any of you read? Professor Snape served as a spy for Headmaster Dumbledore for many years"–

"But he murdered Dumbledore, his own father!" someone in the classroom blurted out interrupting her.

"First of all, he did not murder Headmaster Dumbledore, the Headmaster was dying from a poison,"–

"Snape was probably the one who poisoned him!" another student interrupted.

"He was not! One more interruption like that and I'll start taking house points. Now, as I was explaining, Dumbledore was dying an agonizing death, which he was hiding from everyone, but all of us knew he had a blackened, withered hand. Professor Snape was prolonging his life with potions, but Dumbledore had a very short time left. He ordered Professor Snape to kill him so that Professor Snape would curry favor with the Dark Lord and could continue spying on him for the order of the Phoenix. Those who have seen pensieve memories of both Dumbledore and Professor Snape know that Professor Snape did not wish to obey the order to kill Dumbledore"–

"Maybe he sensed that Dumbledore was his father, even if he didn't really know it," a Ravenclaw girl said thoughtfully, and then added, "Oh gosh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's alright, it was a different sort of interruption and brings my second point up. He didn't know about his true parentage until recently. So that while it must have been very hard for him to obey Dumbledore's final request to kill him, the one person who always trusted Professor Snape, he didn't know at the time that he was killing his own father," as she finished her defense she looked around the class room and saw that the young students seemed to be digesting her little lecture on the heroism of their Potions instructor.

"Now, unless you want us all to suffer Professor Snape's wrath, get busy and get this potion brewed."

A chorus of 'Yes Miss Grangers' was followed by the most earnest effort ever seen in the Potions classroom.

Just before the bell to announce the end of the class, Professor Snape reappeared, he had come through a seldom used back door to the classroom, so he could see the students, but if he was quiet and he was, they wouldn't know he was there. He found the classroom almost empty, just a few stragglers bottling their potions or cleaning up their work area. He looked to the teacher's desk where Hermione Granger sat with a rack of completed potions in vials. To his astonishment all of the potions looked to be acceptable, a few even looked to be of excellent consistency. Hermione made to rise and say something to the class, but Snape shook his head and made a hand motion indicating she should carry on. He leaned against the wall next to the door he'd used and waited for the last few students to finish up and leave, each of them being a bit startled when they turned to leave and saw him standing there. Once they'd all gone he approached Hermione.

"So Miss Granger how did it go, were the students well enough behaved for you, or do I need to set some detentions?" He asked while absentmindedly fingering the potion vials on the desk.

"They were fine after they got over a bout of Heroine Worship," she said with a trace of a smile.

"Aw yes, you are The Hermione Granger, a heroine of the Battle at Hogwarts and best friend of 'the boy who lived twice'. I'm surprised they didn't stay after class for autographs," Severus replied though his usual tone of scathing sarcasm was missing.

"Actually I put them straight about who the real hero of the war was."

"Ah yes, your dear friend Potter."

"No, you," she answered bluntly.

"Me, The Hero of the War? Hardly, I just did what needed to be done to get the job accomplished."

"At great danger to yourself, why if it hadn't been for Fawkes, we would have lost you that night in the Shrieking Shack."

"Yes, great bloody bird, always wondered why he did that?"

"Harry told me that Dumbledore," Hermione hesitated a moment.

"Go on, it's not as though you just said the Dark Lord's name. You know, I did consider Albus my mentor when he was alive."

"Yes, well when Fawkes helped Harry beat the Basilisk, Dumbledore said Harry must have shown great loyalty to him for Fawkes to come to his aid. How much more loyalty did you show Dumbledore by honoring his final wish?"

"I suppose, though how I wish I hadn't," Severus' normal robust voice faded and he dipped his head a bit. "It was so hard to do, he begged me though, those around us thought he was begging for his life not begging me to end it. But, he was in such excruciating pain, the potions weren't effective anymore. He told me it was as though he were under the Cruciatus curse all the time. It took all his strength to keep people from knowing how much pain he was in, towards the end I brewed a special pain potion and put it into his favorite lemon drops."

Hermione realized just how much Snape had loved his father, but she kept the thought to herself, realizing Snape wouldn't be the sort to want to hear her assessment of his relationship with his father. He'd no doubt deem it overly sentimental.

"Well, I'd best be off Professor. I have a class this next period and your next class will soon be here."

"Yes, yes of course and thank you for covering for me," he added, surprising Hermione a bit.

As Hermione turned to leave he called out, "Miss Granger, I've just now had a thought as to how I might repay you, but as you say you must be off to class. Would you mind stopping back by my offices after class, say around 4pm?"

"Of course Professor Snape," Hermione said, as she headed out the door and into a sea of first years of her own class and first year Slytherins.

Snape's next class was a regular single hour lecture and he found himself in an incredibly good mood. He didn't even take a single point from Gryffindor; of course he did award a few to his own house.

At lunch, in the Great Hall, Minerva announced that Severus would be stepping down as Head of Slytherin House and that the Malfoys would serve as the new House parents of Slytherin. Minerva also explained their accommodations. The murmurs running through the hall covered the gamut.

'How could Headmistress McGonagall allow former Death Eaters to be House parents?'

'Snape was a better choice than them.'

'Never thought I'd say this, but poor Draco! What could be worse than having your mum and dad as House parents?'

'My parents won't be happy about this turn of events.'

At the Gryffindor Table the comments had been similar to those throughout the Great Hall and then Hermione added, "I heard Pansy Parkinson saying that Professor Snape did not want to step down as Head of Slytherin House but that some of the Slytherin parents were uncomfortable with him being Head of House because they now know he's Dumbledore's son and so they've pushed him out."

"That doesn't seem fair," Ron said.

"Are you defending the Greasy Git?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Well, maybe I am. I mean now that everyone knows about what he did in the war and all, they ought to be happy to have him as Head of House."

"Not everyone does know what he did Ron," Hermione said think about the class she'd taught that morning."

"How could people not know? It was in the Daily Prophet," Harry demanded to know.

"I don't know but I just substituted in his first year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class and those young students didn't seem to know the truth," Hermione replied.

"Well, I suppose kids that young might not know," Ron commented and then at Harry and Hermione's questioning looks he added. "Well, their parents might have tried to shelter them from the facts of the war, and they are a bit young to be reading newspapers on a regular basis, don't you think."

"I suppose but at least the first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws know the truth," Hermione said in a very determined voice.

"Maybe we out to make sure the Gryffindor first years know it too," Harry added.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Hermione agreed and Ron nodded.

At the Slytherin table the murmurs were far more disgruntled, and despite the previous days comments by Draco and Goyle, the sentiment was largely that Snape's stepping down was an error, forced by overly conservative parents and that it was a mistake that needed to be corrected quickly. Draco said nothing but his expression spoke volumes. He was one very dissatisfied young man.

Hermione found herself having trouble paying attention in her afternoon classes, as she thought about her conversation with Professor Snape. She also wondered what sort of repayment he had in mind for her services. To Hermione's way of thinking 4 pm could not come soon enough.

Snape's good mood had started evaporating over the comments in the Great Hall and his afternoon classes did nothing to improve his mood, but when the final class was over he realized that Hermione would soon be joining him in his office and his mood brightened considerable.

"Mippy," he bellowed and the young house elf appeared instantly.

"Yes master, what can Mippy do for master?" the young house elf asked.

"Please bring in tea for two"–

"In here my master?" the elf asked with a note of disbelief.

Severus looked around his office and realized that Mippy was correct. His office was hardly conducive to drinking tea and nibbling on biscuits.

"No Mippy, you're right set it up in my quarters in front of the fireplace and Mippy see if the other house elves know what biscuits Miss granger favors."

"Yes master Severus, right away," Mippy said happily and then pooped out of sight.

Crack on 4 pm there was a knock at Severus' office door.

"Come in Miss Granger," he called.

Hermione entered a bit hesitantly.

"Come on now I won't bite, after all I did ask you here to talk about repaying you for tis mornings favor not to serve a detention," Severus said lightly.

With his words Hermione felt herself warm up to the situation and she walked over to where he was standing with a confident stride and a smile on her face.

"Now as we are to have a little discussion I thought it might be nice to have it over tea and biscuits. So won't you follow me to a more likely environment for Tea?"

"Of course, lead the way."

Severus lead her though his office and past his private lab, which Hermione ogled, and on to his quarters.

"Here we are, a much more pleasant setting for our discussion."

Hermione looked at the tea service and biscuits, her favorites, set out on the end table in front of a comfortable looking sofa in front of the fireplace. She noticed scuff marks on the antique table as though someone had but their boots up on it but decided to say nothing about it.

"Shall I be mother?" she asked.

"If you would like."

Hermione busied herself with pouring tea for herself and Severus. He surprised her by asking for both milk and sugar. She would have bet her last galleon he would be one of those who drank it just as it came out of the pot.

"I surprised you didn't I?"

"What?"

"You had me pegged as someone who drinks their tea with nothing added."

"Yes I did," she confessed.

"Well you would be right most of the time, but in the late afternoon I always feel the need for a bit more sustenance."

"Then you'll need some biscuits too."

"Well, I'm not much of a biscuit eater," he said but took a proffered biscuit anyway.

"Ah explains why you're so thin."

"Oh not you too!" he complained.

"Someone else been telling you you're too thin?"

"Yes the Headmistress and Narcissa Malfoy, have both said it and very recently."

"Well, then it must be true," Hermione said with a smile. She almost couldn't believe how delightful this afternoon tea was turning out to be and she prayed nothing would happen to change how things were going.

Severus too was enjoying the light banter.

"Hardly, and I wouldn't want to become as portly as my predecessor now would I."

Hermione laughed. "I can't imagine there'd be any chance of you matching Professor Slughorn's girth."

Severus smiled.

"You should do that more often," she commented.

"What's that?"

"Smile, you're really quite handsome when you smile."

"Really Miss Granger, now you make me wonder if you really are as intelligent as I've always thought you were, and if you're not then perhaps I've brought you here to discuss a fool's errand."

"Oh please, now don't let your own inability to take a compliment make you change your opinion of my intellect, it's not at all chivalrous to do so."

"Chivalry is a mark of your house not mine."

"I think you would have fit just as well in Gryffindor as you do in Slytherin."

"Unfortunately the parents of the current students in Slytherin think the same."

"Then what Pansy Parkinson said is true, they did force you out?" Hermione managed to ask the question with a note of outrage in her voice.

"Yes," Severus admitted. "Had I not volunteered to step down when I did, there would have been an ugly battle over my position here."

"That's totally unfair! It's not as though this new revelation about your parentage is your fault or that it somehow changes your ability to be head of your house.'

Hermione was clearly upset about the situation.

"I thank you for your opinion Miss Granger, but it is not one shared by the parents of Slytherin House, and it is their opinion that counts. They feel that the son of Albus Dumbledore is not the right man to be watching over their children."

"Well they're wrong!"

"Let it go. Besides I didn't ask you here to discuss my problems but yours."

"My problems?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"Yes, were it not for the war you would have finished up your 7th year last year and would be at University by now. It's unfair that your participation in the war has derailed your education especially with this blood marriage Act looming over your head. So I had this thought that perhaps I, and a few of the other professors, might tutor you in University level subjects while you are here. I believe Filius Flitwick has contacts at several Universities would should be able to suggest how we could do this."

"Oh Professor Snape that would be wonderful!" Hermione said with exuberance.

"Do you know what subjects you would like to pursue?"

"Potions, Charms, Arithmancy and Transfiguration have always been my favorite subjects," she said, pondering.

"I wouldn't have to declare a major immediately would I?"

"No, you could take a general studies approach and wait until your 2nd full year to decide."

"Is there a chance I could perhaps do something interdisciplinary?"

"You mean like Charmed Potions?"

"Yes," she replied eagerly.

"Yes, but if you go that route you will limit yourself as to which Universities you can attend."

"Oh I hadn't thought of that," she paused for a moment and then in a panic added. "What if I don't get accepted?"

Severus laughed. "Silly gir,l what University would turn down The Hermione Granger, war heroine and brightest witch of her age?"

"I've never heard you call me that," Hermione said almost shyly.

"Well just because it was Remus thought it up, doesn't mean I disagree. Though I tend not to tell students things like that when they are younger as I think it puffs them up too much. Besides, it took me a while to see you could actually reach beyond what was written in a text."

"It did take me a while to realize there was more than what was written in books. Actually I think it was inadvertently you who taught me that."

"Inadvertently?" he asked, puzzled.

"In our sixth year, Harry was using your old copy of Advanced Potion Making, the one in which you had written so many notes. Your instructions were always better than the books. That's when I really started to get it that just because it says something in a book doesn't mean it's right. Sometimes you need to research things yourself or just go with your instincts, though I must admit I'm still not good at that."

"I see," was all Severus could manage.

"Have I said something wrong Professor?"

"No, I just started thinking about that book, the one that belonged to the Half-Blood Prince."

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to"–

"You really must stop apologizing when you've done nothing wrong," he interrupted his temper threatening to rise.

"Of course, Professor as you say. Sir, would you mind if I brought up a new topic."

"No not all," Severus said glad of a change of topic and glad she was willing to stay in his company longer.

"I wondered if you might reconsider your stance on the Marriage Act?"

"Excuse me, I thought we were in agreement that it is an abomination."

"Oh yes, we are in complete agreement on that, I suppose I phrased things incorrectly. What I meant is, won't you please reconsider helping to fight it?" she pleaded.

Severus looked at the young woman sitting beside him and felt a bit of pity for whatever wizard did marry her, as he was sure she'd be able to make the man acquiesce to her every whim.

"Oh alright," and before he could finish his thought Hermione bounded up from where she was sitting on the opposite end of the sofa.

"Oh Thank You, Thank You!" she shrieked as she hugged him and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Miss Granger, please demonstrate proper decorum and desist hugging me!"

"Oh I'm sorry! I was just so overwhelmingly happy," she said as her face turned bright red.

"Yes well, I suppose allowances can be made for your excitement. But you must remember, you are my student and I am your teacher, not one of the boys in your house."

"Of course Professor. I shall remember the distinction," Hermione completed the sentence in her mind, 'for as long as it exists.' For in that brief moment when she had hugged Severus Snape and kissed his cheek, she realized she was in love with him, and she would find some way to wait until she was no longer his student to have him in her life and to make him as happy as he deserved to be.


	14. Chapter 14 A Father's Memories

The Pure Blood Prince Ch 14

Severus had enjoyed having Tea with Hermione Granger, especially when they got down to planning how they would fight the Marriage Act. Although he was still apprehensive about going to the Wizengamut and how he might be perceived by the witches and wizards of that august body, he had found that making plans with a witch as clever as Hermione was incredibly pleasurable. In fact, he was now looking forward to tutoring her and though he hated to admit it to himself, he hoped he could find excuses to meet with her in casual, social ways like this afternoon's tea.

After dinner in the Great Hall Severus found himself a bit at a lost as to what to do with himself. It was too early in the term for him to have essays to mark, his lesson plans were written years ago, and he no longer had his Head of House duties to perform. He would visit with Lucius and Narcissa but they were busy getting use to being House parents. He had no brewing to do as he'd replenished all of Madame Pomfrey's stores and his own before the term started.

He supposed he could catch up on some reading and that thought brought him back to the diary Albus had left him. He supposed he should read it before he went to see his Uncle Alexander. So with that thought in mind he headed toward the Room of Requirement with the book in hand.

Tonight he found the room empty and sparsely furnished. A comfortable leather chair and ottoman and a side table with a floor lamp beside it like the one in the Muggle home he had grown up in, though this one was of course magically lighted. Severus made himself comfortable in the chair, stretched his long legs out in front of him and propped his booted feet on the ottoman, opening the book to the first page. He recognized Albus' handwriting.

_January 9, 1960_

_I have a son. I have been checking the registry for the past month looking for Eileen's child and today his name was written there, Severus Tobias Snape. Can't say I like the name much, but then I foolishly gave up any right to have a say in my child's life that night nearly eight months ago when Eileen told me she was pregnant. What I wouldn't do to take those words back. I am at war with myself. I want to see my baby boy and yet I know it will rip me up to do so._

_I know this. Tobias Snape lives in a street called Spinner's End, near Manchester. So if what I've learned about Muggles is true, my baby boy should be in a Muggle hospital near there. I think I shall try to find him._

_January 10, 1960_

_I saw him today. I apparated to the hospital nearest Spinner's End and disillusioned myself. I found my way to what the Muggles call the maternity ward and then found there was what they call the newborn's nursery. Strange place that, a room with a large window and rows of newborn babies in little glass-like cribs. Each crib had a last name and the child's sex written on a placard. My boy was easy to spot. He has his mother's dark hair and eyes, but the rest of him is Dumbledore, big nose and strong chin. He's longer and leaner than most of the babies and has long elegant fingers and for the most part he's a quiet baby. I stood and watched him for hours until the nurse took him off to his mother's room. I wanted to follow but I didn't dare. I can't describe my feelings; I seem to alternate between elation and deep sorrow._

Severus leafed through the book and saw that there were entries on each of his birthdays and one on the day he started primary school, and the first day of each year of school there after. Most were like the one he'd just read, a few words about Albus seeing him and then Albus' feelings, always conflicted. He flipped forward to when he started at Hogwarts.

_September 1, 1971_

_Today Severus started here at Hogwarts. He was easy to spot as the first years stood in the Great Hall waiting to be sorted. Severus was the tallest student there, already over 5 foot tall. I'm ashamed of the way Eileen has dressed him, in hand me down robes as though he were a pauper. And I'm angry at the Sorting hat, although it said he could be sorted in to any house, it placed him into Slytherin, and that despite the fact that he already has a Muggle friend, Lily Evans, who was sorted into Gryffindor._

Severus shifted in his seat; surprised that Albus had been so concerned about him when he started at Hogwarts. As he read through more of the entries he found that Albus had recorded every time he'd done something of note and unfortunately every time he'd gotten a detention. He seemed to record the slightest of things and his last entry of Severus' first year seemed downright maudlin, as he bemoaned the fact that he wouldn't see his son over the summer. Severus skipped over the beginning entries of his second year until he found one about his trying out for the Quidditch team.

_September 16, 1972_

_The Slytherins held Quidditch tryouts and Severus was chosen as one of their chasers. It was wondrous to watch him fly, even with just a school broom; he flew circles round the other students who were trying out, many of them years older than Severus. I noticed his Gryffindor friend Lily Evans was there to cheer him on, and Slytherin Prefect Narcissa Black seemed to be cheering for both him and Lucius Malfoy. It seems Lucius and Narcissa have taken Severus under their wings, not sure if I am easy about that or not._

Severus flipped through a few entries and came upon his first Quidditch game.

_My heart was in my throat as I watched Severus in his first Quidditch game. I think he may have been nervous at first, but then as the game progressed he seem to gain confidence and soon he scored his first goal. I cheered wildly as though he'd just won the World cup. Several people shot strange looks at me and I realized I had come dangerously close to giving away our relationship. Later in the game one of Ravenclaw's beaters gave Severus a nasty whack with a bludger, I was afraid he'd pass out and fall from his broom, but my boy is made from sterner stuff. He hung on long enough to fly to the ground and seek medical assistance. He got back in the game and scored another goal just before his team's seeker caught the snitch._

Severus kept flipping through entries reading some and skimming over others. He was surprised to see how much Albus knew about his relationship with Lily, and then he came upon an entry made in his fifth year.

_Things between Severus and Potter's Marauders are worsening. I wish I could intervene but I fear it would disclose our relationship. I have tried to get Minerva and Horace to deal with the issue, but neither of them is being effective. Minerva is too fond of Potter and his crew, while Horace is too caught up in his quest for students who will become influential people. Despite Severus' abilities, he barely registers with Horace, because Horace can 't imagine Severus ever becoming an influential person. He underestimates Severus. I'm glad Severus has Lily Evans to befriend him._

Severus inhaled sharply as he read those last few words, as he knew it would be at the end of that year that he would lose Lily's friendship. He wasn't sure if he could bear to read what Albus might write about that, and he suddenly realized there was another event in his life he was much more anxious to read Albus' account of, so he leafed through the book to see what Albus had written about that fateful evening in his sixth year when Sirius Black had attempted to kill him.

_I have had to wait for hours to make this entry, as my hands were shaking so with anger I could not hold a quill or wand. Tonight, I nearly lost my beloved son. That arrogant git Sirius Black decided to lure Severus to the Shrieking Shack tonight, when he knew Remus Lupin would be there in his werewolf form. Were it not for James Potter's intervention Severus would have been killed or at least stricken with lycanthropy like Lupin._

_My first thought was to expel Sirius Black, but Minerva persuaded me not to do it. She made me realize if I did so, that I'd have to reveal Remus Lupin's condition and then he would be a victim in this mess too, as would James Potter, because he knew about Lupin's condition and told no one. Minerva also pointed out, rather carefully, that the governors would no doubt question my allowing Lupin to attend school here in the first place and further that my reaction in this situation might reveal that I am overly interested in the welfare of a certain Slytherin boy. _

_Minerva's solution is hateful and yet I can find no other that keeps all the secrets hidden. So I shall give Mr. Black two weeks detention and tell Severus that he is not to speak of what happened. And so I set his feet more firmly on the path toward darkness. I am a wretched excuse for a parent, would that he at least had had a decent stepfather._

Severus sighed. It felt strangely good to know now, so long after the event, that Albus did feel badly about what happened and how he handled it.

Yet in some ways he was becoming irritated reading the diary. He had had a good mad on at Albus, but now he was beginning to find himself feeling a bit sorry for the old man and he didn't want to do that. No, he wanted to stay good and mad at the wretched old codger. Severus knew deep inside it was childish to blame Albus for the mess he'd made of his own life, but right know he was having a difficult time with the if onlies.

If only Albus had married his mother, if only Albus had raised him as his son. If only he'd been sorted into Gryffindor with Lily, he might have been friends with the Marauders, he might have even been one of the Marauders, he certainly wouldn't have been a Death Eater. But then again if he hadn't been a Death Eater who would have spied on the Dark Lord? No, all the alternate paths his life could have taken might have lead to disaster for the Wizarding World. It was like that Muggle movie his Grandmum liked, where the fellow finds out what things would have been like in his small town if he were never born.

Severus sighed again thinking about his Grandmum. Was he supposed to say she was his step-grandmother or his stepfather's mother? Did he have to redesignate all his relationships? There weren't many people in his childhood who had been good to him, his mother, until being good to him became to dangerous to her well-being, his Uncle Alex and his Grandmum.

Severus suddenly stood and snapped shut the book. The damn thing was making him maudlin and that was something he refused to be. He squared his shoulders, brought himself up to his full height and strode purposely out the door of the Room of Requirement. He'd gotten no more than ten paces out the door until he came upon Neville Longbottom snogging Luna Lovegood's face off.

"Mr. Longbottom," Severus said matter of factly, then waited a bit. "Miss Lovegood I presume?"

The two lovebirds flew apart as clumsily as one could imagine two people doing, when caught snogging by one's very own personal Boggart.

"Yes, Professor," Neville answered and stood in front of Luna, she could do no more than stare at Severus with her large grey eyes looking like a wild animal caught in the high beams.

Severus was impressed with Longbottom, the last year of the war had seen the young man finally find the Gryffindor in himself. Severus found he had to fight himself for a moment, should he be his old self and take House points from Gryffindor and Ravensclaw, or should he let it slide because he knew the anguish this young couple were in because of the Marriage Law.

"Mr. Longbottom, for future reference if the Room of Requirement is occupied, and you want to snog your girlfriend senseless in some modicum of privacy, the combination of a Disillusionment Charm and a Muffilato charm work fairly well. By the way, the Room of Requirement is available now."

Severus turned and walked away, his robes billowing in his trademark way.

Luna turned to Neville and asked, "Was that Professor Snape?"

Neville looked thoughtfully after the disappearing man in the billowing robes. "I don't think so, I think that was Professor Prince." 

Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay, life has interfered. May you never have to write and submit a grant electronically the Friday before a semester begins. But I think other than being under the weather a bit, I'm back on form and shall be cranking out chapters on a more regular basis. I've already got some HG/SS stuff written for the story so, just waiting for the correct place to drop it in. As ever thanks for your reviews.


	15. Chapter 15 Books to Talk Over

The Head table had an odd look to it that morning, as Lucius and Narcius Malfoy took their places with the teachers. They had wanted to sit with Severus, but he suggested they sit between Flitwick and Lupin so as to get to know the Heads of other houses better.

In truth, Severus hadn't wanted them too close to him, as he knew they'd pick up on his odd mood. He'd slept fitfully last night having strange and vivid dreams about conversations he had had with Albus. It was as though his subconscious mind was reviewing every conversation, every interaction he had ever had with the man, looking for clues as to whether Albus had ever given a hint to him about their relationship. Had his voice held a different inflection when he called him 'my dear boy', than when he called someone else that? Had his hand lingered on his shoulder longer than it did on someone else's? Were any of the gazes Severus had sometimes caught thrown his way been laced with fatherly concern? Fatherly love even? And then there were the awful moments he remembered. When he had come to Albus to ask him to protect Lily, Albus had challenged if it were only Lily he wanted to save and not James and Lily's baby boy. His answer had so disappointed Albus, that Albus yelled at him, "You disgust me!" He'd woken up so distraught from that dream-memory that he was unable to return to sleep without the aid of some Dreamless Sleep Draught.

Severus straightened up and realized that his mornings musing had let his breakfast go cold until it was now an unappetizing congealed mass on the plate in front of him and his coffee was equally unacceptably cold. He did a quick silent warming spell on both and began trying to fake a hearty appetite.

"Suddenly located your hunger have you Severus?" Filius asked him.

"What?" a startled Severus asked.

"You seemed to have been on a wool gathering expedition there for a while, began to wonder if you'd decided you liked cold eggs and sausage."

"Oh, no I just had some things on my mind," Severus answered without realizing that that was perhaps not the best thing he could have said if he intended to ward off a soul searching conversation with his diminutive colleague.

"Yes, I suppose you have. Look Severus, if you need someone to talk to don't hesitate to come to any of us on the staff. I'm sure I can speak for all of them when I say we are your friends and even your family, if you are willing to let us be, and we will support you as best we can," the tiny older wizard assured him.

Severus turned to the little wizard in utter amazement and with no idea what to say to him.

"I mean him no great disrespect when I say this, but for all that Albus Dumbledore was a great and powerful wizard, some times he could be a total git. To not have claimed you as his son," Flitwick shook his head. "Well, if I were him, I would have been very proud to have a son who is as intelligent, talented and as powerful a wizard as you are."

"Lucius, what did Filius just say to Severus to put that wonderful dumbstruck look on his face?" Remus asked

"Oh stuff it, Wolfie," Narcissa Malfoy said.

"Cissy!" Lucius warned.

"Well Lupin needs to learn to stop teasing Severus as though they were still boys here," she said with a near pout.

"She's quite right. It's a bad habit of mine and one I must break, but I really am curious what Filius said that so stunned Severus that he was without his usually witty repartee."

"If you must know Filius offered that if Severus needed to talk about things that he and the rest of the staff were more than willing to listen, as they were his friends and would even be his family if he wanted that, and then Filius criticized Dumbledore for not claiming Severus. In fact he said he would have been proud to have such a son as Severus," Lucius reported.

"Really?" Remus sounded startled.

"Well, think about it. Filius is head of Ravenclaw and Severus was the best student in your class, wasn't he?" Lucius prompted.

"Yeah, he didn't just get top marks in every subject either, he got the highest marks anyone had every gotten. Will be real interesting to see if Hermione Granger can best him when she sits for her NEWTS this year."

"Odd that neither of them was sorted into Ravenclaw," Narcissa noted.

"Or Severus into Gryffindor for that matter, given his bravery," Lucius said.

"I was thinking the same thing," Remus said, a bit surprised that he and Lucius Malfoy would agree on anything.

"What a different life he might have had then," Narcissa speculated.

"Indeed and a different Wizarding World too, for there might never have been a Harry Potter, if Severus had been sorted into the same house with Lily Evans," Lucius added. Narcissa nodded and Remus looked thoughtfully over at his old nemesis.

While the Malfoys and Lupin had talked about Severus, he had finally regained his wits and taken the opportunity to discuss with Flitwick his idea about tutoring Hermione in various first year University courses. Filius thought it was a great idea and promised to get on the details immediately.

Severus made a beeline for the Gryffindor table. He wanted to tell Hermione the good news about the University tutoring and possibly set up another meeting between the two of them to work on the Marriage Law problem together.

Hermione was sitting with her normal group of friends, finishing off breakfast and trying to get them all organized for the day. Suddenly she felt a shadow envelope her and she turned just as Severus' rich silky baritone said. "Miss Granger might I speak with you for a moment?"

Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at one another in mild shock at the potion master's genteel manner, normally he would have simply commanded a students time, not asked for it like a gentleman.

Neville smirked.

Hermione rose and said, "Of course Professor," and walked off with him.

"What are you smirking about Neville?" Ron asked.

"Just interesting to see how other people react to Professor Prince," he replied.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

Neville related his and Luna's meeting with the Professor the night before.

"You mean he didn't even take any house points from you two?" Ron asked in amazement.

"Nope, just gave us advice on how not to get caught out if the Room of Requirement was unavailable and told us it was available then. I think he'd been using it. He had a book tucked under his arm."

"Wonder why he'd use the Room of Requirement for reading?" Harry wondered out loud.

"And I wonder what he wants with Hermione?" Ron added as he looked over towards the exit to the Great hall through which Hermione and Snape had just disappeared.

"Miss Granger I wanted to let you know that I have spoken with Professor Flitwick about the idea of tutoring you in University level subjects and he is most enthusiastic about the idea."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Also I was wondering if you might be available later this afternoon to work on the Marriage Law conundrum?" he asked.

"Yes, I could work with you this afternoon after my last class."

"Alright, um, let's meet in the Room of Requirement, I'd rather not do the work in the library, the students can be rather distracting, and my office just isn't all that conducive to the sort of work we would be doing." Severus didn't add that he and Lily used to meet in the ROR, because it really hadn't yet fully sunk into his conscience, how he was feeling about Hermione and the time he spent with her.

The day drug by for both Severus and Hermione because each was so looking forward to the afternoon. Severus created a rare free period for himself at the end of the day by sending his fifth years Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs off to the library to research an essay on the most likely potions to be included on their OWLS. He knew he'd likely suffer Madam Pince's wrath for having his entire class descend upon _her_ library like that but he didn't care, he needed a break.

He picked up Albus' Diary and headed for the Room of Requirement. As it had the night before, the room had provided a comfortable leather chair and ottoman and a side table with a floor lamp beside it. He thumbed through the book looking for the passages he was most interested in.

September 2, 1977

Rumor has it that half a dozen 7th year Slytherin boys came back to school sporting the Dark Mark. Of course Severus is chief among the ones suspected of it. What am I supposed to do walk up and demand he show me his arm? Merlin save us all, if I'd just been Gryffindor enough to have faced up to that damnable prophecy of old Cassandra Trelawney this never would have happened. I keep wondering if Eileen's curse has outlived the grave? Perhaps I could chance to tell him; maybe I could still alter his path?

Severus sighed and then scanned through the entries of his seventh year, there were more like that one, all tinged with Albus' despair about the path Severus had chosen. Even the entry about his NEWTS score, the highest ever attained by a Hogwarts student, which Albus noted with pride, were tainted with his fear that everything Severus had learned and all his innate power would go to serve the Dark Lord, the only thing that lightened it a bit was his occasional reference to the positive side of the prophecy.

Finally Severus turned forward to the entries after he had graduated, the ones that had occurred in that awful fall before Lily died.

He came to me tonight, distraught, fearing for the life of Lily Potter. He's still in love with her, though she's married to another man and has a child by that man. A man he loathes. I'm not sure if he's seen the error of his ways or if he's just so smitten with her that he'll do anything to save her. I told him I'd keep the Potters, all three of them, safe and I will try. I also told him he disgusts me and at the time I said it, I think I may have meant it. It was disgusting to see his single-mindedness that this woman meant so much to him that he could forget there were two other lives at stake, even the life of her child.

But in truth it was myself I was disgusted with, for if I'd raised him he would have had the compassion in him to care even for the man who had taken away the woman he loved. But he never knew a father's love. Didn't learn to feel safe enough in anyone's love to learn to value others in any but a Slytherin way. It was that realization that made me offer him a teaching job at Hogwarts. I can keep him close to me; maybe I can give him a second chance. I've told him to tell Riddle he's got an excellent chance to spy on me by being here at the school, let's hope that fool Tom buys it or Severus may be in trouble, though Severus is a gifted Occlumens so I think he shall be safe. At least I pray he shall, perhaps this is what is meant in the prophecy by his betrayal of the riddle.

There were a few entries in the journal about how Albus felt about having Severus near him at Hogwarts and then the truly telling one.

Nov 2, 1981

It's taken a while for me to be able to make this entry, so much has happened. As this is my book of memories of my son, I will not write of all of it, only what pertains to him. I don't know where to begin. He came to me again, broken, angry with Tom, angry with me, angry at the world really. It took a bit of doing to calm him down and give him a purpose again. For a time I thought I'd lose him to his own anguish and despair. But he has a purpose now, to protect Lily's son, though he's forbid me to ever let anyone know why he would do such a thing. Now all I've got to do is keep him safe. I know at some point some Death Eater is going to try to hand him over to save his or her own self from a lifetime in Azkaban, I won't let them happen not ever. I don't care what I have to do I will protect him. I will give him his second chance.

Severus checked the time on a pocket watched he fished out of his waistcoat. He still had, he estimated, another twenty minutes before Hermione could arrive after the end of her last class. Yet almost as soon as he snapped the pocket watch shut, another chair, a library table and a second lamp appeared in the room, then the door to the room began to open. Severus was not overly startled by the changes though he did wonder how she'd gotten away so early. He closed the diary, stood and waited for Hermione to join him.

Hermione was shocked to find the Room of Requirement already occupied.

"Oh Professor, forgive me if I'm intruding, our class was dismissed early" she apologized seeing that he held a book in his hands.

"You aren't intruding Miss Granger," he disagreed. "After all we did agree to meet here after your last class and the Room of Requirement wouldn't have provided a second chair in the room just moments before you opened the door if you weren't welcome here," his voice was as smooth and silky as she'd ever heard it be. It was almost mesmerizing and she had to force herself to make an appropriate response.

"But surely you wanted some privacy to do your reading," she said gesturing to the book in his hand.

"Actually, I had just decided that I was done reading this particular book for now," he lied smoothly, raising the book slightly so she could recognize it.

"Oh, your fath"- she stopped and corrected her self. "The book Headmaster Dumbledore left for you."

"Yes, I decided I should read it before I – well before long, but I've found that it is best to read it in small doses,' he answered. Severus was startled at himself that he'd nearly told the girl about his personal plans for the weekend.

"Oh," Hermione said, not knowing what else to say that wouldn't annoy the professor because he might think she pitied him.

Severus tilted his head and looked at her like a curious owl, wondering what made the usually loquacious young Gryffindor respond in such a clipped manner.

"Please sit down and unburden yourself of all those books."

"Oh, yes I grabbed all the Wizarding Law books I could find before coming down here," Hermione answered feeling she was on firmer ground talking about their shared project.

"Ah, good," he said helping her spread the heavy tomes on the table in front of them. "You really should shrink these when you carry them around, or you'll end up developing a dowager's hump from carrying such a heavy load."

"I don't think that's how one actually gets that," she said with a smile, "but thank you for the concern and the advice. I know it probably sounds strange, but sometimes I simply forget the things that I can do as a witch to make my life more convenient."

"Not at all strange, I had a Muggleborn friend who was forever doing the same thing. I made it a habit to shrink her books for her," he said with the ghost of a smile.

Hermione wondered if the witch in question was Harry's mother, but she didn't risk asking that, instead she asked. "Did she let you keep doing that?"

"No," he answered sounding surprised. "How did you know that?"

"Because I wouldn't have, if a friend kept doing things for me that I was perfectly capable of doing, then I'd never remember to do them myself."

"Her reasoning exactly," he said sounding a bit sad.

"Well shall we get to it?" he asked seeming to shake off the bit of melancholy that had threatened to slip over him.

"Suppose we better, they won't read themselves," she said with a grin.

Severus found himself fighting the urge to grin back at her. Each of them tugged a large dusty book towards themselves and started looking for something they could use against the Marriage Law.

"Merlin's boll- beard," Severus censored himself, "why couldn't those old wizards that wrote these monstrosities have at least provided an index," Severus muttered after thumbing through the large book he had in front of him for a while.

"Oh here let me fix that," Hermione said. She waved her wand over the book and said _"__Ludex is libri._" The old tome glowed for a moment and grew a slight bit fatter; when the glowing stopped Severus flipped to the back of the book and found an index.

"Where did you learn that spell?" he asked, genuinely impressed.

"I made it up in my fifth year to help me study for my OWLS," Hermione answered and looked at Severus a bit challengingly.

"Well, seems I may have to revise my estimation of you Miss Granger. This spell suggests you can move beyond what's written in books."

"Of course I can. I'm not a foolish little girl who thinks the sum total of all knowledge is locked up in books," Hermione's temper was beginning to flare a bit.

"I certainly don't think you a fool or a little girl, Miss Granger. Now if we could concentrate on the issue at hand?"

"Yes, of course," Hermione said and buried her nose in one of the large legal tomes. A few minutes later she let herself glance over at the professor as she wonder what exactly he'd meant by his comment about not thinking she was a little girl. Unfortunately she didn't catch the glance he threw her way a few minutes later.

After searching the indices, several of which he created with Hermione's charm, and reading a variety of citations in the books, Severus reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his right hand and then sighed as he pushed the books away.

"Oh this is no good. I've seen nothing that is in the least bit helpful," he complained.

"I haven't had any luck either. Maybe we need to consult a different library?" Hermione suggested.

"Perhaps," Severus answered distractedly. "Or perhaps," he said, an edge of excitement starting in his voice, as he pulled the discarded text towards him. "Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way."

"What ever do you mean, Professor?" Hermione asked starting to catch his excitement.

"Perhaps instead of researching marriage and related subjects we need to be looking at where we are all feeling the problem."

He turned to face Hermione fully.

"Miss Granger, what would you say is the major reason individuals object to the Marriage Act?"

She paused for a moment to think before speaking and turned her body to face his more directly as well.

"Well, it just feels like such an invasion of privacy. The government interfering in such a private matter, as to whether one marries and whom one marries and when. It feels like people are being forced into marriage"

"Yes, and beside the fact that Wizards and Witches have had rights to their privacy and the right to determine the outcome of their own lives for quite some time now, they also have the absolute right to refuse to enter into any sort of contract, including a marriage contract, if they feel they are under duress. Even if it is their own ministry coercing them," Severus added.

"You've got the essence of the argument for the Wizengamot," she said her face blossoming into a smile.

"Yes I think we have," he said being sure to give her credit as well, "though it will take a while to polish it up."

"When can you speak before them about the Marriage Law?" she asked.

"I don't know, we have to get the Marriage Law onto the docket and I have to get someone to turn the floor over to me," Severus answered thinking over the situation.

"What about Griselda Marchbanks, she was quite a supporter of your fath"–

"No!" Severus cut her off his voice sounding thunderous in his displeasure. "I thought I made it quite clear that I would not trade on being Albus' bastard son!"

Had not Hermione Granger been a Gryffindor, she might have been cowed by Severus' outburst, but as she was, she took it in stride.

"Sorry, but as much as you may not want to play that card, it is the hand you were dealt, and most people will insist on seeing you as who you are," Hermione insisted bravely

"I've never been able to affect how people decided to view me, but at least now I have the freedom to decide whether to exploit their conceptions, and I have decided I shall not," he replied hotly.

"Even if doing so would benefit others," she asked in a gentle voice.

"Merlin's Bollocks girl, must you quote my dead father so perfectly?" Severus rose and turned his back to her.

"I've spent half my life doing what would benefit others, regardless what it might cost me, and now you think to tell me I cannot even do what would benefit others, while trying to keep what tattered bits of self-respect I have left to me? That's Gryffindor cheek, that is," he turned to her and she could see the ire rising in him, and for the first time she truly saw Albus Dumbledore stamped all over him, for in truth it was only the hair and eyes that were Prince.

"I beg your pardon. Professor. If I've spoken out of turn, I do truly apologize, but I must confess that I do not understand why you should feel your self-respect tattered. You've done so much of which a person should feel, well, if not proud, then at least not so self-effacing."

"You are but a naïve child Miss Granger, you've no idea what horrible things I've done," he said, looking down as if no longer able to meet her gaze.

"What? Made a mistake by trusting and following those of your house, like Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and your other friends, Avery and Mulciber? Following Lord Voldemort when you were no older nor less naïve than I?" she asked defiantly.

Severus found himself angry that she knew so much about him and his youth, as it simply underlined that his life had been laid bare to others, when he thought he would not survive the last battle. In his anger he lashed out, as was his nature.

"Believe me Miss Granger, I wasn't as naïve when I stepped foot into Hogwarts as you are now."

Hermione took a deep breath and reminded herself that Severus had been through much of late that would provoke his temper.

"Let's hope you can speak more genteelly with the members of the Wizengamut," Hermione said trying to moderate the heat in her voice, as she got up and began gathering the books she had brought in to the room. Severus stayed her hand.

"Please, Miss Granger, I'm"– Severus hesitated for a moment then started over. "All these years of playing spy for Albus and the Dark Lord haven't exactly made me the most courteous of men. I regret that I spoke so harshly to you just now."

Hermione realized that what she had just heard was probably the closest thing she would ever get to an apology from the Potions Professor.

"Easily forgotten and forgiven, Professor," she said reaching for another book.

With a wave of his wand and a simple spell Severus quickly reduced the large tomes to the size of fat decks of cards. He'd done it partly as a peace offering and partly as a reflex reaction to seeing a Muggleborn witch struggling with a stack of overly large books. Hermione looked at him in surprise and perhaps even mild reproach. Severus gave her a look in return that seemed amazingly like that of a small boy who had done something he'd promised not to do. She smiled at him forgivingly and slipped the now miniaturized books into the pockets of her robes.

"You know, I rather like these little chats we've had, well other than that last little bit," Hermione said deciding to lighten the mood in the room.

"I suppose I shouldn't admit it, but I do too, Miss Granger. I don't think you should tell Misters Potter and Weasley that, they'll think I've cast the Imperius spell on you."

"Yes and I think my Head of House and the Headmistress probably should remain ignorant too, don't you?"

"Yes, no doubt Lupin would accuse me of all sorts of things and Minerva might even believe it," Severus said with the barest hint of a smirk as he held the door to the Room of Requirement open for Hermione.

"Yes well, I'm sure it would be more fun for people to believe the book in your hand was full of love sonnets, than that my robe pockets were full of legal tomes," Hermione added.

"Indeed, you know I believe Hogwarts thrives on rumor and innuendo," Severus noted as Hermione passed under his arm.

Hermione laughed, "I'm positively sure of that Professor."

They walked amiably along toward the Gryffindor Tower.

"Miss Granger, as soon as Professor Flitwick has the details ironed out I let you know about the tutoring schedule," he added as they approached the portrait outside the Gryffindor commons room.

"Thank You Professor, that would be wonderful," Hermione said. She then turned and gave the Fat Lady the password "Datura Starmonium" and passed through the open portrait.

"Moon Flower, it figures," Severus muttered under his breath.

"And why are you still hanging round the hallway like a love struck suitor Severus? She's not Lily Evans you know," The Fat Lady scolded him.

"No, she isn't is she?" Severus said as he walked away with the hint of a smile on his face.


	16. Chapter 16 Wizards Will Be Boys

Severus headed off to the Great Hall for dinner with a bit of a spring in his step and headed for his usually place at the head table.

"Wait up, Sev," Lucius Malfoy called out.

Severus turned and waited for his slightly shorter friend to catch up with him.

"Lucius, where's Cissy?" Severus asked.

"Still fussing about which robe to wear," he answered and the two men shook their heads in amused unison.

"So what's got you in such a fine mood this evening?"

"What makes you think I'm in a good mood?"

"You were walking with a bit more spring to your step, which makes you blastedly hard to keep up with, and your scowl wasn't very convincing. I think there were actually a few students thinking of approaching you about something," Lucius answered teasingly.

The two men reached the head table and Severus motioned for Lucius to sit next to him. "Flitwick won't mind, long as you move his stool and bolsters over for him."

"If you don't tell me what's got you in such a good mood I'll start guessing and you know what I'll start with," Lucius warned.

"All right, all right I'll tell you just to shut you up. I think Miss Granger and I"–

"You think you and Miss Granger what?" Flitwick interrupted excitedly, like a gossipmonger about to hear something really juicy.

"I think we may have found a way to defeat the ministry's blasted Marriage Act," Severus finished.

"Oh good show, jolly good show!" Flitwick said enthusiastically as he levitated himself up to sit atop his bolster, which Lucius had moved to the next chair over.

"Truly? Narcissa will be so delighted to hear that, it will give her an excuse for holding the party she's been planning since she got the decorating finished in the little manor house. You, of course, shall be the guest of honour Severus," Lucius beamed at his friend.

"Uhm, well that would be fine, except I promised my Uncle that I would join him at Prince Manor this weekend. I also promised Minerva that I wouldn't be here at Hogwarts because the Daily Prophet will be sending reporters to interview the students about the Marriage Act," Severus said countering Lucius' offer

"You know the reporters from the Prophet just want an excuse to interview you," Flitwick commented.

"Yes, Minerva thinks the same thing that's one of the reasons I'm going up to my Uncle's."

"So you're going up to Prince Manor are you? Far as I know you haven't been there since you were a sixth year here, have you?" Lucius prompted Severus.

"No, I haven't," Severus answered and grew quiet.

"Say hello to your Uncle Alex for me will you Severus?" Flitwick requested to relieve the tension.

"You know my Uncle?" Severus asked a bit curious.

"Yes, I taught both your Uncle and your mother. Good Charms students both of them. Of course, Alex always was more interested in Quidditch and girls than his studies, but he could almost always be counted on to be the first to master any charm we studied, and of course he knew more hexes than any boy should. I suppose he's the one taught you all those hexes you used to fire at Remus and the other Gryffindor boys," Flitwick replied with a grin.

Before Severus could reply Remus butted in.

"Sounds like Severus takes after his Uncle Alex quite a bit. As I recall the three things Severus was really quite good at when we were boys in school were playing Quidditch, hexing us Gryffindor blokes and being a back door man to lots of the Gryffindor girls," Remus said, and then he leaned out over the table to make eye contact with Severus.

"Thought we didn't know, huh? Why do you think James and Sirius disliked you so much? They never liked the idea of you putting that snake of yours into Gryffindor knickers," Remus taunted Severus.

"Easy Severus," Lucius cautioned as he put a hand on Severus' shoulder. "He just wants to bait you."

Severus slipped out from under Lucius' hand and leaned out over the table so he could speak back to Lupin.

"I always knew that you and Sirius were aware of my activities. After all a dog and a wolf, I was sure you could smell the girls on me," Severus taunted back.

"I never understood it, Snivellus. Shagging all those Gryffindor girls when you were suppose to be so in love with Lily," Remus continued his verbal harassment of Severus.

Severus stood up so suddenly from his seat at the head table that his chair crashed over. Remus followed suit and instantly he and Severus had their wands drawn. Lucius and Flitwick moved to intervene; but before things could progress Minerva McGonagall's voice rang out like the cracking of ice beneath one's feet.

"What in Merlin's name is the meaning of this?"

Every head in the Great Hall was focused on the end of the teacher's table.

Severus and Remus both looked at the Headmistress like students caught out of bounds, and apparently neither of them any longer possessed the power of speech.

"Expelliramus! Expelliramus!" McGonagall quickly repeated the spell causing both wizards' wands to fly into her hands.

"Now gentlemen, and I use that word figuratively, follow me!"

The two wizards put their heads down and began following their Headmistress as she walked quickly out of the Great Hall.

Flitwick and Malfoy scrambled to follow after the Headmistress and their two misbehaving colleagues.

For a moment the great hall was hushed into a shocked silence then the students began to break out into excited conversations.

"Wow, I wouldn't want to be them right now for all the gold in Gringotts!" Ron said.

"Me neither," Neville agreed.

"Wonder what started that? Anyone happen to be watching what was going on before the wands came out?" Harry asked.

"I sort of was, but not sure quite what was said," Hermione offered.

"Well, go on tell us what you think was said?" Ron prompted.

"Well like I said, I'm not sure, but I think Professor Lupin started it. It looked like he said something to Professor Snape about Harry's Mum. Least wise I thought it looked like he said something about Lily just before Snape got really mad, stood up, knocked his chair over and took his wand out."

The scowl on Harry's face was unlike anything any of them had since Voldemort's defeat.

Just then Narcissa Malfoy made her grand entry into the Great Hall, looked at all the empty seats at the Head Table and demanded to know where everyone had gone. The remaining staff and all the students in the Hall broke into peals of laughter.

As McGonagall approached the gargoyles that led to her office she turned and questioned Flitwick and Malfoy sharply, "What are you two doing here?"

Flitwick spoke up for the pair, "We witnessed the altercation and thought you might want to hear our version of the events."

"While I am quite disappointed in this pair's behavior," she said, glancing over at Severus and Remus, as she spoke. "I think I can still trust them to tell me the truth. You two please return to the Great Hall and oversee your houses. I'm sure the students found this display most distressing. And please ask that the students all stay until we return"

Malfoy and Flitwick both bowed and said almost in unison, "Of course, Minerva," before turning and returning the way they had come.

McGonagall turned back to the gargoyles and gave the password of the week, "Cranachan," and then without looking to see if Severus and Remus followed her, she entered her office, sat behind her desk and placed the two professors' wands down on the desk in front of her.

Severus and Remus stood before the desk, each of them looking longingly at his own wand.

"What's going on?" Albus Dumbledore's portrait demanded to know.

"None of your business Albus. In fact, I'd like you to leave," Minerva answered curtly.

"I will not. I've as much right to be here as any of the other headmasters, and as Severus is here I've got more right to be here," Albus' picture actually managed to look livid.

"I assure you I can handle my present duties as headmistress without you or any former headmaster or headmistress looking over my shoulder, and as to any other reason for you to be here, well you're wrong you have no extra standing. Now leave or I shall call a house elf and have your portrait removed!"

"Well I never," Albus said as he angrily vacated the frame of his portrait.

Minerva looked around to the other portraits, "And don't any of you let him creep back into your frames!" The portraits all shook their heads or said no or of course not, and she turned her attention back to her two misbehaving staff members

"Now as to you two, oh do sit down, I don't want to get a crick in my neck from looking up at you during this interview." The two younger men promptly sat down in the chairs that quickly materialized behind them.

"Now out with it, why were you two acting like insolent teenagers instead of adult members of my staff?"

Severus and Remus exchanged a look and finally Severus prompted Remus, "Well you started it. You explain it."

"Oh very mature Severus," Minerva said shaking her head.

"No, he's right I did start it. Flitwick made a comment about Severus' Uncle Alex and what he was like as a student. I said that Severus was like his uncle, and well one thing sort of lead to another and I stepped over a line I shouldn't have. That's all there was to it."

"Do I have to bring Filius and Lucius in here or are you going to give me a more accurate account?" she asked.

"You may have my memories of the event if you want," Severus volunteered.

"It would be faster," Minerva said.

Minerva turned to a cabinet and got out a pensieve. Severus looked at her desk where his wand lay.

"Alright, I'm going to give both of you back your wands, but if I ever see you two pull them on one another again I'll take them away and you won't get them back without a wand oath, understood?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am", came the twin answers in perfect unison as two pale hands reached out for their wands.

"I want the memory from both of you," she said. They looked shocked, but nodded and each pulled a silvery tendril from his temple and placed it in the pensieve. Minerva then leaned over the pensieve and was drawn into the doubled memory.

Minerva sat back up and nodded then stirred the pensieve, separating the tendrils and returned them to their rightful owner.

"What was that like?" Severus asked in wonder.

"A bit disorienting seeing it, hearing it, feeling it from two different perspectives at once, but at least I didn't have to sit through the memory twice which I find annoying and a waste of time," Minerva answered. Both men looked at her with awe wondering if either of them could have sorted all that sensory input out.

She looked at the two men with an annoyed look on her face.

"What am I suppose to do with you two? Make you serve detentions? Should I have you write lines? Maybe Remus could write two hundred times I will not tease Severus while Severus could write I will keep my temper in check a similar number of times? You are not teenaged boys yet you act like it. Why? Why? Why? And why can you not let bygones be bygones and become the friends you should have been in the first place?"

At this point Minerva was up pacing around her office and the two men didn't know whether to continue be contrite or to give in to the urge to laugh.

"I cannot and will not let your behavior go unpunished, but as you are not children but adults I think you should have a hand in deciding your punishments. So gentlemen, I need for each of you to think of a necessary service to Hogwarts that is loathsome to you to remind you not to act out again."

Severus and Remus glanced at one another and knew Minerva had been right when she'd said she didn't need any of the other headmasters or headmistresses help in disciplining her staff members. Having them choose their own punishments was diabolical; in fact, Severus thought it was down right Slytherin.

After they'd settled on their punishments, the three of them returned to the Great Hall. Remus and Severus' longer legs allowed them to get significantly ahead of Minerva so they began conversing in hushed tones.

"Look I really am sorry. I've been acting like a real prat lately, it's just well," Remus started.

"Yes, go on" Severus prompted.

"Tonks and I are on the outs, otherwise I wouldn't even be here on a Friday evening," Remus answered.

"Is it bad?" Severus asked concern evident in his voice.

"I don't even know what we're fighting about," Remus replied with a hint of self-deprecating humor in his voice.

Severus gave a small laugh. "Another reason for me to try to defeat the Marriage Act." Severus paused a moment and then added. "Look have you tried simply apologizing?"

"Sure, that made things worse because I apologized but didn't know what I was apologizing for and she just got madder at me."

Severus shook his head. "Thanks for making my predicament look good, Wolf."

Just then they entered the hall and it dawned on the two men that as part of their punishment they needed to apologize to the entire school.

"Any idea how we should do this," Remus asked as they began to head toward the front of the Great Hall to stand in front of the Head Table.

"As though we had brass ones," replied Severus.

They turned and stood in front of the rows of expectant students and stood silently for a moment.

"Well, you first then mate," Remus said softly.

Severus squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and and launched into the apology.

"Professor Lupin and I have come to apologize to our colleagues and to you our students for our behavior earlier this evening," Severus paused and Remus stepped in.

"I started this mess by acting immaturely, baiting my colleague in a way I knew was unacceptable

"Neither of us acted as good role models," Severus interrupted.

"Indeed, and it is important that you understand that even adults must be punished for their misbehavior," Headmistress McGonagal added. "Which is why I made professors Lupin and Snape come back here and apologize to all of you. It is also why the following actions will take place. One hundred points will be taken from both Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses for the conduct of their respective professors."

Moans and murmurs about injustice filtered forward from the tables of the two houses but stern looks from Severus and Remus silenced the protests.

"Professors Snape and Lupin will be performing services for the school throughout the year to make amends for their behavior. Additionally, a suggestion box will be placed in the entrance hall where you may, over the next two weeks, drop suggestions for what you believe might be fitting punishments for your professors. I will read over the suggestions and choose those that seem most appropriate to the situation. Thank you for your patience. You are dismissed."

Students began filing out of the Great Hall, talking to each other about the evening's events and Severus made every effort to avoid as many people as possible but Minerva beckoned to him.

"Yes, headmistress?"

"I expect you to be gone to your Uncle's by no later than 7 tomorrow. I don't want a chance of you running into the reporters, understood?'

"Yes Minerva, and thank you for earlier," he added.

"For what?" she asked surprised.

"For banishing Albus from your office," he answered.

"Oh that, well I thought it would be easier on you and fairer and besides I've been wanting to tell him off for days. Now go on with you I'm sure you have things to do before you head off to Prince Manor." She hesitated for a moment and then called out. "Say hello to Alex for me."

""I will."

"Author's Note: For some reason my muse just didn't want to send Severus to Prince Manor yet (even though all sorts of things are already outlined for that visit) so this chapter came about instead. A bit frivolous and maybe a bit too OOC, it's setting the foundation for something so bear with and by the way if you'd like to suggest what the students would like Severus' and Remus' punishments to be please do.


	17. Chapter 17 At Prince Manor Part 1

Severus' boots made a crunching noise as he strode up the white crushed granite walkway toward Prince manor. Per Minerva's request he had left Hogwarts before 7 AM and though he was sure he could have apparated to the front door of his Uncle's manor house, he had decided he would rather start just inside the gates and make the long walk up to the house so he could enjoy the grounds and see if there were any changes evident in the architecture of the manor. His grandfather had been prone to changing the place as a whim struck him, in Severus' memory the manor had been Elizabethan, Georgian, Baroque, Gothic and, Severus smiled, the manor was now Regency. The grounds and the house could have come off the pages of a Jane Austen novel.

As Severus set foot on the stairs, the front door opened and out sprung a house elf clothed in a gleaming white toga with green and gold filigree and a crowned serpent on its front center.

"Young Master Severus, come in, come in," the elf said and motioned for Severus to enter the home. "Have you your bags, young master?"

"Yes, Mordicai," Severus said with a grin and then reached into his robes and brought out a miniaturized version of a traveling case, handing it to the house elf.

"I take up to your old room and put every thing where belongs. Your Uncle Alex waits for you on the veranda."

"Well, then I better take myself out there, he won't like me dawdling."

"No, Master Alex no likes dawdling."

Severus started towards the back of the house.

"Master Severus," Mordicai called out from the top of the stairs of the large house.

"Yes," Severus answered curious as to what the elf wanted.

"Is good to have you home," the elf said with a beaming smile.

"Thank you, it's good to be home.

As Severus opened the French doors out onto the veranda, his uncle, a 70ish wizard of medium height and build, with similar skin tone, eye and hair coloring to Severus, save the white hairs that were sneaking in at his temple, rose from a chair and turned toward the doors.

"Hello Uncle Alex," Severus said as he crossed the veranda to where his uncle was standing.

"Hello Rus, good to see you, has Mordicai made you feel at home?"

Severus felt a burst of warmth at being called Rus. Only his mother's family did that and so it had been a long time since he'd heard that particular nickname.

"Yes, except he keeps calling me young Master Severus like I was still 12 years old."

"Probably my fault Rus, I sometimes still think of you that way. Merlin look at you, you must have grown at least 3 inches since last I saw you," Alex Prince proclaimed.

"Yea, about that, I guess," Severus agreed.

"And are you wearing a Glamour to make you look older?" Alex asked.

"Oh yes, I forgot," Severus said slightly embarrassed. He extracted his wand, turned it on himself and muttered, "_Finite Incantatum."_

Years melted away from Severus' face and he seemed to stand even taller.

'Why were you wearing a glamour?" his uncle asked.

"I started teaching at Hogwarts while I was so young that I didn't really look any different than the 7th years there, so I took to wearing a glamour. Most of the teachers do. Flitwick used to wear one that made him look like he was ancient. Oh by the way, he said to say hello and so did Minerva."

Alex Prince sat down rather heavily, "Minerva said to say hello?" he asked in a stunned voice.

"Yes, why do you seem so shocked by that?" Severus asked in concern.

Alex didn't seem to hear him. "Maybe she's forgiven me after all these years?" he wondered more to himself than to Severus.

The penny fell for Severus as he remembered Minerva saying that she and his mother were both women who wrongly thought they'd found their true loves.

"You broke her heart," Severus said softly but with both certainty and a note of censure.

"I suppose I did," the older man answered, then shook his head and rose again.

"Come on Rus, let's have some breakfast and then I'll take you in to see your mother's and grandfather's portraits. They're both anxious to talk with you."

Severus could see his Uncle wasn't going to open up about his relationship with Minerva McGonagall anytime soon, so he decided he'd go along with the flow and look for a more opportune time to get more information out of his recalcitrant uncle. After all, he was the Wizarding world's foremost spy, he was sure he could get a simple thing like a romantic secret out of one middle-aged wizard.

"Breakfast could wait. I'm really anxious to see mother," Severus said trying to sound like he wasn't almost pleading with his uncle.

"Perhaps you've forgotten, but your mother isn't a morning person. We've got time for a proper breakfast and time for a visit with your grandfather before she'll be willing to take a visitor. Even if the visitor is you," Alex replied.

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten. Many's the time I made my own breakfast as a child and got my self together for school," Severus said as he began choosing items from the platters on the table in front of him.

"Hogwarts must have seem like something of a dream to you then, having a proper breakfast there on the table every morning," his Uncle commented.

"I suppose, but I really missed Mum and worried about her," Severus replied.

"Yeah, you were right to do that."

Silenced lingered between the two men and they both tried to pretend to be very interested in their breakfasts. Finally Alex Prince decided to take the bull by the horns.

"So how are you taking this news about your parentage, Rus?" Alex asked.

Severus stood up and began to pace.

"I'd like to say I'm taking it in stride, but I can't really say that and be honest. It's hard to one day have everything you thought you knew about your self just knocked into a cocked hat. And it's not just that I'm now considered a pureblood, but people look at me differently. I'm Albus Dumbledore's bastard son. I'm no longer looked upon as good enough to be Head of House of Slytherin," seeing the look of shock on his Uncle's face, Severus pressed on, adding. "No, you see, they see me as tainted with Gryffindor blood and values and have replaced me with House parents, the Malfoys."

"The Malfoys, but they were Death Eaters, among Voldemort's most staunchest supporters," Alex protested.

"So was I Uncle, or do you forget why I wasn't allowed in this house for twenty years?" Severus countered.

"Yes, but now we know the truth and know that your were not Voldemort's man but your father's."

Severus flinched at hearing his Uncle call him his father's man.

"How I wish you'd let us know your true allegiances," Alex Prince added sadly.

"I couldn't, it would have risked my cover as a spy if you and grandfather, two such staunchly anti-Death Eaters, hadn't disowned me. My only regret is that I couldn't keep grandfather safe, but he really made it hard, being so outspoken and refusing to allow the Aurors to protect him."

"Yes, well never let it be said that Septimus Prince would cower behind a bunch of Gryffindor Aurors."

Severus smiled and Alex threw down his linen napkin and stood up. "Come on let's go see old Septimus, he's talked of nothing but you for days."

The two dark haired wizards walked toward a large library and upon their entry a dark eyed, silvery haired wizard seated in a large portrait over the library's fireplace mantle began talking animatedly.

"Alex, Rus, about time you two got your lazy arses in here. Come over here Rus my boy, let me look at you," the old wizard ordered.

"Yes, you look well enough, and I guess I should have seen that that old fool Dumbledore had been fooling around with my daughter from the looks of you. If not for your Prince eyes and hair, why you'd be the bloody spitting image of Albus," Septimus declared.

"So everyone seems to say, now that they know my pedigree," Severus muttered.

"What's that my boy, speak up. You'd think that damn painter could have given me perfect hearing. It was a sodding pain in the arse to have been hard of hearing as an old man, but to put up with it as a painting as well is a bit too much," Spetimus whinged.

"I said that now that people know that Albus Dumbledore fathered me, everyone seems to see the likeness," Severus said a bit louder and with a noticeable crankiness.

"Oh well, didn't mean to step on already sore toes, Rus," the old man said gently. "Look, why don't you sit down so we can chat a bit? After all, we've got a couple of decades to catch up on don't we?"

"Yes of course, grandfather," Severus said as he sunk down into one of the library's leather chairs.

"So first thing is, why hadn't you come sooner? I mean this falderal with Voldemort has been over for months."

"Well, there was the little matter of recovering from a near fatal snake bite, dealing with some inquiries from the ministries, the Order of the Phoenix needed me to clear some things up and then Headmistress McGonagall asked me"–

"McGonagall, that wouldn't be Minerva McGonagall now would it, boy?" Septimus interrupted Severus to ask.

"Yes, why?" Severus answered warily.

"Well see Alexander, I told you she wasn't the girl for you. Any witch that is more interested in a career than marriage and a family is not what you needed for a wife," Septimus lectured his son.

"Ever think she might have been interested in marriage and a family if you hadn't interfered!" Alex shouted, and then turned on his heel and left the library, his robes billowing much as Severus' did when he strode through the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Alexander, Alexander, come back here!" Septimus bellowed.

Severus felt a bit bewildered and very embarrassed to have inadvertently initiated the argument between his uncle and grandfather.

"I can see there are a few other sore topics in this house. I'm sorry I brought her name up," Severus said when he finally felt safe saying anything at all.

"Yes, well you couldn't have known how bad that subject is between Alex and me," the old man began explaining.

"You see, he never got over what my meddling in his relationship with her did to his chances with her, and well he never got over her. If I'd just realized how much he loved her, I'd have tried to settle the old feuds between our family and the McGonagalls, but I thought it was a harmless infatuation. Of course, it does mean the Prince name comes to end with Alexander, for he refuses to marry and get himself an heir. Well, no use crying over spilt milk," Septimus sighed rather dramatically.

"But perhaps there is a solution for that," Severus offered tenuously.

"What, you don't think that ridiculous Marriage Act will save the Prince name do you? It won't, because your Uncle is just a shade to old for it," Septimus countered.

"No sir, but one thing I came to talk to you and Uncle Alex about this weekend was the possibility of my taking the Prince name."

Severus sat forward in his chair, eager to explain himself.

"You see, now that I know that Tobias Snape was not my true father, I feel awkward using his name, and yet I would also feel awkward assuming the name Dumbledore. But the name Prince I feel is rightfully mine. What say you, grandfather?" asked Severus, eagerly awaiting a response.

"I say it's a splendid idea. Of course your Uncle, as the only living Prince, must give his permission, but I don't see why he wouldn't."

The old man paced a bit in his frame.

"Why don't you go fetch him? He's probably out flying 'round the fields, that's what he does when he's upset.

"Yes grandfather," Severus answered.

"And tell Mordacai I said you were to have the new Firebolt Xtreme I bought for you."

Severus quickly stood up. "Yes grandfather," he answered again, this time trying to suppress the excitement in his voice.

Severus nearly sprinted out of the library as he called for the house elf Mordacai, so he didn't see his grandfather's portrait shake it's head in mirth at his grandson's excitement over the fact that he was about to get to fly a new broom.

Severus took the new broom in his hands and felt like a teenager again. The wood was highly polished and there on the handle was a nameplate that read Rus. He opened his robe, sat astride the broom and kicked off. He flew a loop around the manor house to get accustomed to how the broom maneuvered and then headed out toward the potions fields. The Prince family had long grown some of the finest and rarest of all potions ingredients in all England, well all Europe for that matter. As he got used to how the broom handled he tried some acrobatics, just a few old Quidditch tricks from his chaser days. Finally he spotted his uncle, on the ground near a field of asphodel, kicking at an old oak tree.

"Good thing it's an oak and not a Whomping Willow," Severus said.

"See he gave you your new broom," Alex observed, ignoring his nephews comment.

"He thought I'd need it to find you," Severus replied.

"Yes, I usually fly when I'm in a bad mood."

"The old man trod on everyone's toes today," Severus observed.

"Give him time and he'll bring up Lily Evans and the Marauders too."

"I'd forgotten that tact wasn't his long suit. How the hell did he ever survive in Slytherin?" Severus pondered.

"I believe he knew even more hexes than you or I," Alex replied with a laugh.

"You know he did sort of apologize about Minerva. I mean it would have been better if he were saying it to you instead of me, but he said he never realized how much she meant to you, and if he had he wouldn't have interfered and he would have tried to mend the difference between the families."

"He said that?" Alex said in astonishment.

"Yes he did. By the way, what did he mean about the trouble between the families?"

"Oh a really old feud, our family has always been potion makers and growers of fine potion ingredients. Their family has always been brewers of spirits; they make a fire whiskey that's better than Ogden's. Somewhere back in time, members of our two families got cross wise of each other over something. I'm not sure anyone knows what anymore, anyway there's been a feud for generations."

"So you and Minerva, you were the Wizarding equivalent of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Yes, we kept it a secret for quite a while but then someone found out about us, and our fathers definitely didn't approve and," Alex sighed heavily. "I eventually folded under the pressure and broke it off with her."

Severus looked at his Uncle unsure what to say.

"Oh you, you would have done differently wouldn't you have?"

"I don't know, I'm not sure. I don't know the depth of your feelings for her or the consequences you both would have faced if you'd stood up to grandfather and to her father," Severus said honestly.

"You don't know the depths of my feelings? I've married no other witch have I? I love her still! But I was too much a Slytherin to take my chances. Not a brave half Gryffindor like you," Alex said baiting Severus.

"Don't say that to me! I'm tired of everyone thinking that any spark of bravery I may have shown in my life can be attributed to Albus Dumbledore. My sire was a bloody coward and he proved it over and over! He wasn't man enough to face up to some bloody prophecy and claim me as his son. He let Tobias Snape have that honor. Do you remember how much Tobias thought of it? Albus used me over and over again as a living, breathing piece in some insane game of Wizarding chess between him and Voldemort. Then to top it all off, he had me kill him. My own fucking father begged my to kill him with an Unforgivable Curse in front of my godson and the boy who should have been my own!"

By the time he'd reached the end of his diatribe the only thing keeping Severus upright was leaning against his broom, tears were beginning to fall from his eyes.

"Rus, Rus I'm sorry. Merlin's beard, I didn't mean to open your veins like that," Alex reached out to steady his nephew and found that the younger man's greater size was too much for him, so they both of them wound up seated on the ground, one hand grasping the wrist of the other man.

"My emotions have been very close to the surface these last few days," Severus answered, sniffling a bit. He cleared his throat and wiped the back of his hand across his face to clear it of moisture.

"I can imagine, and on the rare occasion when I let myself think of Minerva I have a hard time holding back my feelings."

They sat in silence for a while each taking comfort in the other man's presence.

"Perhaps it's time we go and give that old man a piece of our minds," Severus suggested.

"You're going to get very angry at me for saying this, but by Merlin's hairy balls you are as impulsive as any Gryffindor!"

Smirking, Severus took his wand out and was thinking about what annoying curse to cast on his uncle when Mordacai appeared in front of them.

"Masters, Lady Eileen is wondering where her boy is? She in very bad mood," Mordacai informed them.

Severus grabbed his broom and prepared to fly back to the manor, but his uncle grabbed his arm.

"I think we better apparate, your mother's temper has not improved any with death," Alex warned Severus.

Both wizards miniaturized their brooms, stuck them in their robe pockets and apparated to the manor's entryway.

"Ready to go see your mum?" Alex asked Severus.

"I'd be a lot more ready if I weren't late," Severus said with a sickly expression on his face.


	18. Chapter 18 Meanwhile at Hogwarts

"I wonder where Professor Snape is

"I wonder where Snape is?" Harry asked, eyeing the Head table and then the rest of the hall.

"Avoiding the Great Hall after last night's performance I suppose," Ron replied, spewing food out as he spoke.

"Oh Ron, that's disgusting! When will you ever learn not to talk with your mouth full," his sister admonished, while Hermione shook her head at Ron in total agreement with Ginny.

"I suspect _Professor_ Snape left the castle to avoid the reporters that will be here later from the Daily Prophet." Hermoine suggested, her emphasis on Snape's title causing Harry and Ron to roll their eyes.

"I bet your right," Ginny said. "He wouldn't want to give that lot any more fodder for their gossip rag."

"No, and none of us should either," Hermione said looking meaningfully at her housemates sitting round the table with her.

"I'm not worried about any of us slipping up, but what about that lot of tossers?" Neville said, twisting about in his seat and gesturing over his shoulder with his spoon at the Slytherin tables.

Yes, they could present a problem, but"– Hermione stopped in mid-sentence.

"What were you saying, Hermione?" Harry prompted.

"Looks like The Malfoys are going to have a word with the Slytherins. Do you suppose they might tell them to keep their big mouths shut?"

"What I wouldn't give for a pair of Extendable ears about now." Ginny said.

"Oh, I've got the next best thing in my bag," Harry said and began digging in the bag. "It's a Muggle device Dudley sent me, runs on batteries, it's suppose to let you listen in on conversations across a room."

Harry pulled out the device, which consisted of a small red plastic box with ear buds. He turned it on and put the ear buds in his ears.

"Ow," Harry yelped.

"What's wrong," Hermione asked.

"I think I have the volume up to loud and I'm hearing the rest of the tables too. Could you two cast silencing charms on the other tables?" he asked, gestured with his head towards Hermione and Ginny..

The two girls took care of casting the required spells and then Hermione cast a duplicating spell to make more of the eavesdropping devices for the rest of them. By the time the Malfoys had made it to the Slytherin tables and said good morning, the golden trio plus Ginny and Neville were all listening in on the Slytherin's conversation.

"Where is Professor Snape?" asked a sixth year Slytherin girl.

"Headmistress McGonagall didn't sack him because of last night did she?" Pansy Parkinson asked before either Malfoy could respond.

"One question at a time children," Narcissa Malfoy said is her imperious voice.

"Of course Headmistress McGonagall did not sack Professor Snape because of his actions, however ill-advised they were. As was explained last night, _both_ he and Professor Lupin will be punished for their actions." Lucius explained

Narcissa harrumphed, indicating she did not fine the equality of punishment fitting.

"And as to Professor Snape's whereabouts, he is taking some time to visit his Uncle at the family manor," Lucius continued as though he hadn't heard his wife.

"So he's neatly out of the way while the reporters are here. Was that his idea or McGonagall's?" Draco asked.

"Draco, that's headmistress McGonagall to you," Narcissa reprimanded her son.

"Yes, Mother," Draco responded rather meekly and at a cross look from his mother amended his response. "I mean, Madam Malfoy."

"All of you," Narcissa swept her eyes over the entire group of Slytherin students, "will address your elders respectfully, as befits a Slytherin," she reminded the rest of her house of their expected behavior.

A chorus of Yes, Madam Malfoys greeted her.

"As to whose idea it was that Severus go to Prince Manor, I imagine it was his own. After all, if any Slytherin can devise a handy way to not be where they don't want to be, it would be Severus Snape," Lucius answered and the students nervously laughed in agreement.

"Now, let's get down to the real reason we came to speak to you. The reporters from the Daily Prophet will be descending on us momentarily. I believe they are at this moment meeting with Headmistress McGonagall. Supposedly, they are here to report on the Marriage Act and how older students here are reacting to it. Therefore, they should not be bothering younger students," she gave a dramatic pause, "but they will if they can, and they will try to use this opportunity to dig into matters far a field of the Marriage Act," Narcissa explained.

"You mean they'll want to ask us about Professor Snape being Dumbledore's illegitimate son and all that?" Blaise Zambini asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what she means," Lucius answered.

"And we aren't to talk about that are we?" Pansy asked with a knowing look in her eye.

"Right Pansy," Lucius said and gave her one of those infamous Malfoy smiles.

"You are all to show what house you belong to, by being clever Witches and Wizards who only answer questions about what the reporters are suppose to be here to report on," he added with a raise of his eyebrows.

The students all looked at each other and smirked.

"We can do that," Draco said speaking for his peers. "Can't we Goyle?" Draco prompted his former lackey.

"Yes, of course we can. We are all Slytherins," Greg Goyle answered in the affirmative, but there was something in his manner that didn't match his words.

"All right then, I think you'd best polish off your breakfasts, the reporters will be here soon." Lucius told the students.

Back on the other side of the hall, Remus Lupin had become aware of something not quite right going on between his Gryffindor' tables and the Slytherins'.

"Wolf on the prowl," Neville warned, and suddenly the hearing devices disappeared into robe pockets and Ginny and Hermione quickly ended the _silencio_ spells over the other tables.

"All right, the lot of you 'fess up, what's going on?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Sir?" Hermione answered for the group sounding truly bewildered about what the Professor could mean.

"Oh don't try that on with me, young lady. You can all just turn your pockets out. Come on be quick about it," Lupin said he sounded a trifle annoyed but not truly angry.

The five Gryffindors reached in their school robes and pulled out the muggle devices placing them on the table in front of them.

"And what pray tell do these devices do?" Lupin addressed his question to Harry, knowing the young man would answer him honestly.

"They're sort of the Muggle equivalent of Extendable Ears," Harry answered, knowing Lupin knew of Fred and George's invention.

"I see and that explains the _silencio_ charm in the middle of the hall," Lupin stopped for a moment, thinking.

"You were eavesdropping on the Slytherins weren't you?" Although he asked it as a question it was more a statement of the conclusion he'd come to from the facts he knew.

"Yes sir," Harry answered and the rest of them nodded.

"It's not right to eavesdrop on people, you know," Lupin said but his voice didn't carry much reproach.

"Yes sir, we know that," Hermione took it on herself to answer for the group this time and to try to sound contrite.

"Well what's done is done. Don't suppose you've done too much harm. So tell me did you overhear anything useful?" Lupin asked.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well, did you?" he insisted.

"Yeah sort of," Harry said and began filling in his Head of House on what he'd overheard. Lupin decided the Slytherin plan should be implemented school-wide and left the Golden Trio and their deputies Ginny and Neville to see to Gryffindor. Remus next went to talk to Filius and Pomona about being sure their houses knew how to stonewall the reporters.

"We've already had this discussion with Minerva and the Malfoys last night and we have talked to our older students," Filius said.

"Why wasn't I included?" Remus asked.

"I suppose it might be that Minerva was still upset with you and was seeing you as, well as a recalcitrant boy, rather than the head of Gryffindor," Pomona suggested.

"But still if there was a plan for some sort of damage control for these reporters being here, my house should have been made aware of it," Remus said angrily.

"I made that very argument last night," Filius stated.

"And?" Remus prompted impatiently.

"Minerva said that between Hermione, Harry and Ron they would figure out what to do and apparently they did," Pomona answered.

Remus didn't have anything to say to that but it was clear he wasn't happy.

Meanwhile, back at the Slytherin table …

"Draco, a word," Lucius said and pulled his son aside.

"What is it, Father or should I call you Master Malfoy?"

"Don't be a prat, Draco," the elder Malfoy said in irritation.

"Watch Goyle, would you?" Lucius requested of his son.

"Yes Father, I have every intention of doing so." Draco replied earnestly.

"And Draco, how do the students really feel now about Severus?" Lucius asked with concern

"Those who were down on him to begin with have mostly changed their minds, Greg and a few others are the only hold outs."

"Maybe you better tell me the other names so I and your mother can watch them while you watch Goyle."

"Yes, good idea."

Shortly after Lucius and Draco ended their conversation Headmistress McGonagall entered the Great Hall with two reporters and a photographer in tow.

"Students may I have your attention," she paused. please allow me to introduce the reporters from the Daily Prophet that we have been expecting, Miss Sally Ann Wofford and Mr. Geoffrey Rilesworth and their photographer Mr. James Weatherall. As their article is about the effects of the Marriage Act on students here at Hogwarts, all students who will not reach the age of seventeen during the school year are dismissed," Minerva announced.

The younger students all stood and promptly filed out of the Great Hall. The Daily Prophet staff looked a bit chagrined as two-thirds of the student body left, but knew better than to protest.

Minerva turned toward the reporters, "The students do have homework and need to study for the NEWTS so I'm sure they would appreciate it if you could keep your interviews short and to the point so they can have some of this lovely weekend to themselves."

"Yes, of course," Miss Wofford said. "Geoffrey why don't you start on that side and I'll start on this side," she said, indicating that she would take the Gryffindor side of the hall and he could start on the Slytherin. They had predetermined this as they were really only interested in quotes from Harry Potter and his friends and the Slytherins. They would also try to get some quotes from the staff if they could.

Severus and Alex stood in front of the doors to the study and gave each other a look as though they were about to enter the Coliseum as gladiators.

"Oh come on, she'll forgive you anything within minutes of seeing you," Alex said.

Severus smirked and then gave a slight shrug, "I suppose you're right."

Alex pushed the doors open. "Good Morning sister, look what I've brought you," he said cheerily."

"About time," Eileen Snape's portrait scolded. "Come here Rus, come here, and let your poor old mother feast her painted eyes upon you."

Severus obeyed, walking over to the portrait of the woman who did not seem that much older than he was and looked much as he had remembered. Eileen Prince Snape was a beautiful woman, with jet black hair, ebony eyes, a pale olive skin tone and lips the color of ripe raspberries. Her facial features were of a perfect symmetry that should have made the goddesses jealous and her figure was one that wizards would have found difficult to ignore.

When he stood beneath her portrait he breath, "Mum."

Alex Prince smiled and closed the doors of the study behind him, knowing mother and son would have much to talk about.

"Look at you," Eileen said, "all grown up. By Merlin's Great Beard, you're every bit as tall as Albus aren't you?"

"Yes mum, I am," he replied quietly.

"I see, you're uncomfortable with people pointing out the similarities between you and your father are you?" she asked.

Severus lowered his head, thinking how to answer his mother.

"Severus," his mother drew out his name, prompting him.

"Truth is, I don't like it. Now that the people know, everyone feels they have a right to make comments about how I look like Albus and they attribute anything I have ever done that seems to smack of courage as being because of my Gryffindor heritage, as though only Gryffindors have courage and as though he was so courageous," Severus complained rather bitterly.

"Hush now, I won't hear you speak ill of your father," she lightly scolded him.

"What, you too. You're going to defend him to me?" Severus asked incredulous.

"Look young man, I loved him very much and I'm more to blame for this situation than he ever was," Eileen explained in a reproving manner.

Severus flopped down in the leather chair at the desk near his mother's portrait, a long leg trailing over one of the chair's arms and a scowl on his face.

"Sit up straight, and smooth out your robes before you get them all creased," his mother insisted, as only a mother can.

Severus automatically did as his mother told him too, before even realizing he had.

"Now, have you talked with Albus about things?" she asked.

"Yes, and his brother gave me a book that Albus wrote, remembrances of important days in my life. I haven't gotten all the way through it. It's hard for me to read, it brings up a lot of bad memories," he confessed.

"Well, did Albus at least tell you that I tricked him into your conception?" she asked.

"Yes, he did. Of course he did. Laid the blame on you, 'Should have remembered I took a Slytherin to my bed' he said," Severus answer was rather harsh.

"And the blame was mine. He told me many times we couldn't marry or have children. But I so wanted a child and I was so sure he'd change his mind when I told him I was carrying his son," she said sadly.

"But he didn't did he," Severus responded angrily.

"No, he was angry and he seemed almost frightened of what I'd done," she sad sadly.

"Yes I know why now. Aberforth told me."

"What did he tell you?" she asked earnestly.

"That Cassandra Trewlaney had made a prophecy, to the best of Aberforth's memory it was that 'a white wizard of the family Dumbledore will sire the Dark Lord's right hand, the rejected son will unwittingly kill his father and fall to the great snake, but not before his betrayal of the riddle' or something like that. I suppose if I went to the department of mysteries I might be able to retrieve it and see what it actually does say," Severus answered.

Eileen stood up and moved about, pacing as much as the confines of her picture frame would allow. "Oh, no wonder he was so insistent on our not having a child, but I wouldn't listen, leastwise not to him, only to my heart and that part of every woman's soul that cries out for a child," she seemed quite distraught.

"Mother please, don't you see this isn't your fault. It's his for being afraid of a stupid prophecy and therefore bringing to fruition. If he'd only excepted us"–

"Then the whole Wizarding World would have been in peril. For Albus would have always been worrying over us instead of doing what was best for everyone. You would not have become a Death Eater and not have been given a second chance by your father. You would not have been the Order of the Phoenix's Spy and Voldemort would never have been defeated. It all happened as it had to happen," she said her words like they were a pronouncement.

"You don't know that, perhaps if you and Albus had raised me then maybe he and I together would have been strong enough to have defeated Voldemort the first time around," he said.

"It doesn't matter Rus, what happened, happened and it happened because of me and my temper. I cursed him without a thought about what the curse of a Romnichal woman can do," she lowered her head and shook it slightly.

"So you didn't know your words would be like an unbreakable vow?" Severus asked.

"No, but I felt the magic in the room as soon as I spoke the words, it didn't take but a few hours for Albus to come back to me and say he had made a mistake, I had to stop him from saying more before he could say words that would have struck him dead," by this point there were tears coming from her painted eyes.

"You really did love him?" Severus asked in hushed tones that conveyed his awe.

"Of course I did, never doubt that I loved him, that you were made of love. How else do you think you could be so strong?"

Mother and son stared at each other for a while.

"You had such stupid parents who taught you so little," she finally said.

"Don't say that, everything I am is because of you mum," Severus said with the earnest love of a son for his mother.

"No, I didn't do right by you. I should have left Tobias when he became suspicious that you were not actually his son, but I felt that staying with him was, well it was like a fitting punishment for what I'd done to you and to Albus," she admitted.

"But where would you have gone, if you left him?" he asked pragmatically.

"I could have come here. You'd have had a good life here with your grandfather and uncle to help raise you. You know you always loved to visit here. I was just too stubborn to admit my mistakes."

"Yes, well next time someone tells me how much I'm like Albus, I'll point out that I get my stubborn streak and my temper from you."

Eileen smiled at her son.

"You know what I wish?"

"What Mum?" he asked.

"That just for a moment I had a flesh and blood body so I could hug you once again and run my fingers through your hair, like when you were a little boy," she said sadly.

They sat in silence for a while, thinking about all they wished they could do but couldn't.

"You know, " he sighed, "if you say I should, I suppose I'll forgive him for a lot of things," he paused then added, "but there is one thing I simply will not forgive him for, not ever," he finished firmly.

"What's that darling?" Eileen asked.

"That he made me kill him," Severus said his voice cracking on the last words.

"What? He made you kill him? What do you mean, I thought that you did it to save him from other Death Eaters or something like that," she asked very agitated.

"I thought you knew, I thought Uncle Alex said he kept you up to date on all the news," Severus said his voice trailing off again.

"He reads the Daily Prophet to me, of course I suppose he could be editing the content," Eileen said the last words with a touch of venom in them. "Tell me what really happened between your father and you at the end," she ordered.

"I think I should back up a bit to when he found Marvolo Gaunt's ring, the Resurrection Stone, it had a curse on it. It was killing him. I managed to confine the curse to his hand, but that just bought him time. I learned that Draco Malfoy was suppose to kill Albus and passed the information on but Albus asked me to do it instead, to save the boy's soul and to secure my place by Voldemort's side," Severus related the information to his mother's portrait with little emotion.

"And what of your soul?" she asked.

"Funny I asked the same question," he answered.

"Take me to Hogwarts," she demanded.

"What? Now?" he asked a bit flummoxed.

"Yes now, I want to have a word with Albus' portrait," she said heatedly.

"We can't," he said, not quite believing he was refusing his mother's request.

"What do you mean we can't?" she asked, her tone sounding dangerously calm.

"There are reporters from the Daily Prophet there today so I promised Minerva that I would stay away until they cleared out," he answered.

"Fine, owl Minerva and ask her when it will be convenient for you to return," she ordered.

"Yes mother," he said as he started to leave the study.

"Oh, and why don't you ask her if you can bring your Uncle Alex back with you?"

"Mother!" Severus exclaimed.

"Look, it's about time those two got back together, they aren't getting any younger."

He shook his head and headed off to the library to write the letter, three drafts later he had the family's owl Malcolm set to fly off to Hogwarts.

"Wait for an answer, and be careful, she might not like parts of the message," he told the bird. It chirruped its understanding and headed off out the open window of the library. Now he just had to wait to see when the fireworks would really start.


	19. Chapter 19 Preludes

Minerva uncharacteristically prevaricated between doing nothing to prepare for the arrival of Alexander Prince, her former lover, and flying into a frenzy of preparation. She knew she had no business focusing on his arrival after the fiasco with the Daily Prophet reporters, but then again there was nothing more she could do about it now but what for tomorrow's edition of the paper and the fallout from it. She should perhaps be looking into the issue of Miss Granger's part in the Daily prophet fiasco and her reaction to it, but it could wait until tomorrow she was fairly sure of that. No, for now she would indulge herself and prepare to see her former lover for the first time in over 38 years. She changed into her favorite dress and covered it with a more formal variation on her headmistress' robe. She then removed the glamour she normally wore, doing so made her look a least 25 years younger than she had just that morning. Finally, she did something she rarely did outside her own quarters just before bedtime; she unpinned her hair and let the mostly caramel colored tresses cascade about her shoulders. She looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair.

"Well, whoever he is, he must be special," the mirror said.

"I used to think so," Minerva replied with a sigh. She set the brush aside and decided it was time she went back to her office to try to busy herself with paperwork until Severus and Alexander arrived. It was a hopeless task, her mind wandered to much for her to make any headway.

"Would you like to talk about it Minerva?" Dumbledore's familiar voice asked.

"What?" she asked startled a bit from her thoughts, which had strayed to her relationship with Alexander.

"Would you like to talk about you and Alexander Prince?" he asked being more specific this time.

"Would you like to talk about you and Eileen Prince or should I say Eileen Snape?" she asked in a tone of voice designed to sting as much as her words would.

"Touché, Minerva, Touché. But be careful who you wound with that tongue of yours, because before this day is out you may have need of a someone to lend a friendly ear," Albus replied.

"And you think yours would be the only one I could find Albus?" she responded angrily.

"No, but I wager there are few you could find who understand what it is like to be kept from those you love for so long. Or do you forget that I know all your secrets?" he added.

"And you swore to keep them secret!" she said a sense of alarm rising in her.

"Yes, and I took them to the grave with me, but you are letting Severus bring Eileen's portrait here to speak with me, or more likely to yell at me. Look, all I'm saying is I do not know that I can keep things from her, Minerva. So it may be best if you stop keeping things from Alex." Albus finished, and Minerva became acutely aware of the other portraits watching in fascination.

Severus stumbled as he apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts. He went down to one knee and would have gone sprawling face down in the dirt if not for his Uncle's strong hands shooting out to steady him at the last second.

"Whoa Rus, steady on. You're lucky you didn't splinch yourself," His uncle said as he helped him gain his footing.

"I'm lucky I didn't drop Mum's picture, she'd have my head if the frame got cracked," Severus replied, trying to hide his embarrassment, that made twice in one week he'd nearly fallen after apparition, he need to do something about his lack of mental focus.

"If I had a wand, and if I could see what I was doing, and if I wasn't so discombobulated from your nearly dropping me," said a muffled voice said from inside the cloth wrapped portrait in Severus' hands, "I'd hex you!"

"Oh I'm sure you're just fine little sister, now stop whinging and let Rus get us inside the damn castle."

"Oh Uncle about that, please don't call me Rus in front of any of my students," Severus requested.

"Oh, of course not. I'll call you Professor Prince," Alex said with a smile as Severus undid the wards of the gates to the school.

"While I appreciate that you are willing to let me take the family name, it's a bit premature to start calling me that just yet. I mean there is some paperwork I have to file with the Ministry to make a name change," Severus replied, hoping he didn't sound like he'd changed his mind.

"Yes, but it's just a for-mal"– Alex Prince stopped in mid sentence as he and Severus had reached the doors that led into the castle and there stood Minerva McGonagall in all her glory.

Severus looked to see what had interrupted his Uncle and saw Minerva standing in the open doorway, her teaching glamour gone, her hair down and being played with by a little breeze. He could see what had arrested his Uncle's speech. Minerva McGonagall was a very handsome woman; Severus could see why she had always worn a teaching glamour, without it she'd have been quite distracting to adolescent wizards and to tell the truth she'd probably distract quite a few grown wizards as well.

"Severus, Sandy won't you join me in my office?" she said.

Hearing her call him Sandy made Alex's chest feel tight as though his heart was swelling or perhaps it was simply trying to escape to go where it truly belonged. Sandy was Minerva's private nickname for him as Minnie was his for her. If she was calling him Sandy maybe she was ready to forgive him.

"Of course," Severus said and helped usher his Uncle though the castle to Minerva's office, on his way there his mother's portrait berated him for carrying her through the halls like a piece of luggage.

"I think perhaps you had better unwrap Eileen's portrait right away Severus," Minerva advised the younger wizard.

"Yes, and be quick about it," his mother said from within the wrappings.

Severus set the picture down and made quick work of the twine and cloth around the frame and then set the picture up on an easel on Minerva's desk.

"Well hello Minerva, you're looking very well," Eileen said to Minerva.

"Thank you and you too. Seems you had an excellent artist do your portrait," Minerva commented.

"Yes, Alex and father wanted only the best," Eileen answered.

"So," Eileen said scanning the rooms other portraits, "where is that scoundrel Albus?"

"I had his portrait taken down to Severus' quarters by one of the house elves. I thought you might want some privacy for your conversation," Minerva answered.

"Thank you Minerva, you always have known how to handle delicate situations."

"Not always," Minerva said softly, glancing at Alex.

"We'll catch up later Minerva. Now Severus, please take me down to your quarters immediately," Eileen said in a voice that was somewhere between a request and a command.

"Yes, Mum, that is if you don't mind Headmistress?" Severus deferred to Minerva.

"Of course not, please go ahead and use the floo," Minerva suggested.

"Uncle?" Severus loaded the single word with meaning, so that it was clear he was trying to give the older man an out.

"Your Uncle and I have some catching up to do," Minerva interrupted before Alex could reply.

Severus cast his Uncle a nervous look.

"Don't worry, I promise to return him, none the worse for the wear," Minerva said with a smile and Alex gave a nearly imperceptible nod to his nephew.

Somewhat mollified Severus picked up a handful of floo powder and flung it in the fire calling out his quarters.

"Ooh, a scary way for a painting to travel, what if I'd caught fire?" Eileen asked just after Severus stepped out of his fireplace..

"Oh Mum, Minerva wouldn't have suggested it if it weren't safe," Severus countered.

"All right, well where's Albus' picture?" she asked.

"Is that you Eileen?" Dumbledore's voice seemed to waver a bit.

Severus strode into his bedroom, where Albus' voice was coming from, his mother's portrait still tucked under his left arm, to find that his father's picture had been hung on his bedroom wall.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing on my bedroom wall?" he roared.

"Well it wasn't my idea! Winky stuck me up here, said you needed something on the walls in this room," Albus grumbled in reply. Eileen started to comment and Severus hushed her.

Severus reached up and grabbed Albus' picture off the wall, when Albus began to complain he shushed him too. He stuck Albus' picture under his right arm. Severus then turned, left his bedroom and marched back out to the lounge. He conjured two easels, which he placed on his coffee table and then positioned his parents pictures so that they were facing each other but on an angle so that the frames were just slightly touching.

"All right is this satisfactory?" he asked after he had the pictures situated.

"Yes it's fine," Albus answered.

"It will do nicely, son," Eileen agreed.

"Good, I'm leaving for a while, because quite frankly, I suspect there are some things you two may want to say that I just don't want to hear. When you want me back call a house elf to find me."

"Alright, but where are you going? What are your plans?" his mother asked.

Severus thought to tell his mother something shocking like 'Diagon Alley to visit a whore', but restrained himself. "To be honest mum, I don't know. I just don't want to be here while you two argue or whatever it is you plan on doing. And frankly, don't you think I'm just a bit too old to have to tell Mummy and Daddy where I'm going and what'll I'll be doing and who I might see there?" his voiced reeked of sarcasm.

"Severus!" Albus said his son's name in a tone of voice meant to reprimand him.

"Don't! Don't use that tone on me. I'm not your spy, nor a member of your staff nor a student in this school, so I don't need to answer to you and I won't!" Severus bellowed at Albus, his hair and clothes being lifted as though a storm was brewing around him. He turned on his heel to exit the room.

"Wait, Severus, don't leave while you're so angry," his mother said gently, and Severus stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

Severus turned to look at his mother, "Mum, staying would only provoke me more. I need to," he stopped for a second at a loss for words to express his needs. "I need to move, I need to do something physical to, to, ah," he sighed. "I can't put it into words. Just let me go before I explode," he finished.

Eileen nodded and Severus practically bolted from the room. He restored his wards and added a silencing charm. Just in case his parents argued loudly he wanted no one overhearing it.

He really hadn't known what he wanted to do before he had tried to talk to his Mum but now he did. He wanted to practice dueling. He just needed to find someone who was a good enough duelist to give him a good work out. If Remus were in the castle he'd be his first choice. As Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher he was of course an excellent duelist and of course their old rivalries would help make a duel more interesting. If Remus weren't available maybe Lucius would play. Severus strode toward Remus' quarters and knocked loudly when he arrived.

"Severus, come in," Remus said, a bit startled to see the potions professor. 'What are you doing here at Hogwarts? I thought you were spending the weekend at Prince Manor."

"So did I, but my mother's portrait had other ideas," Severus answered.

"Oh, such as?" Remus prompted, and headed towards his small bar.

"A conversation with Albus," Severus replied, wondering how to broach the reason for his visit.

"I know it's a bit early, but can I offer you a drink?" Remus asked, trying desperately to figure out a way to not discuss the reporters' visit.

"Actually, I was hoping you would offer me some dueling practice," Severus responded hopefully.

"Dueling practice? Are you feeling a bit rusty?" Lupin asked, baiting Severus just a bit.

"No, just like I need to throw some heavy duty hexes or else explode with, with" Severus ran his fingers though his hair in frustration at his inability to articulate himself.

"With rage, anger, confusion?" Remus asked, fairly sure he understood his colleague's frustrations.

"Yes!" Severus replied in relief, looking at his old childhood nemesis and wondering how it was that he understood so well.

"Come on, let's go down to my classroom, shall we?" Remus suggested and Severus nodded eagerly.

Lupin was glad to have avoided the topic he didn't want to discuss and equally glad to have a way to assist the man he was beginning to think of as friend. Once they arrived at his classroom, Remus emptied the center of the room of student desks with a flourish of his wand and warded it for good measure, and then took off his teaching robes and his coat and tie. Severus likewise took off his robe and frock coat and loosened his tie.

"Anything goes except Unforgivables, alright?" Remus said setting the ground rules. Severus nodded and took up the dueling stance.

They began throwing one curse and counter-curse after another. There were attempts at spells like the Expelliramus and Rictussempra, which were turned back with Protego charms, then Stupifies and Petrificus Totalus were tried. Initially neither could get in under the other's defense, but as they both began to tire, curses began to slip in, including a few unique ones of the two professor's own invention. Occasionally one or the other would end up slammed against a wall or desk or would receive a blow, a slash, a burn or stun from the other's wand. Finally, both wizards were literally staggering and Severus said, "Enough, thanks Remus," and slid to the ground against Remus' desk.

Remus staggered over to Severus to check on the other man. He sat down next to him.

"Hey, I beat you," Remus said sounded both shocked and slightly smug.

"You did not, I simply decided that the practice duel had done what I wanted, so I quit." Severus argued and then groaned.

"Maybe we better go see Poppy," Remus suggested.

"She'd have our hides for this," Severus noted, stood rather unsteadily and waved his wand over Remus' most obvious injuries and a few not so obvious like some broken ribs. "Feel better?" he asked.

"Yes, not bad. Now sit down and let me return the favor," Remus suggested. Severus complied and then called for Winky. The house elf immediately appeared.

"Winky bring me a vial of Pepper Up potion, some Burn Paste, Bruise Balm and Healing Salve from my lab," he ordered the elf.

"Yes master Severus," the elf replied and immediately popped out of the room to return in a matter of seconds with the requested items.

"Remus what are you doing here?" Severus asked as he drank some Pepper Up Potion and handed a portion of the same potion over to Remus.

"You mean why am I trusting your ministrations instead of going to Poppy?"

"No, no, why aren't you at home with Tonks and Teddy?"

"I told you Tonks and I are on the outs," Remus replied very dejectedly.

"Still? That doesn't sound good, you better get someone to help."

"I'd just come to the same conclusion myself but I don't know who to ask for help," Remus replied as he absentmindedly open his shirt so he could apply the bruise balm to the bruises above his mending cracked ribs.

"Well don't ask me, I've no real experience in the area and quite obviously my male relatives are all dunderheads when it comes to relationships," Severus made his pronouncement about his male relatives and then hissed as he applied some healing salve to a cut.

"All your male relatives? Sounds like you're condemning more than your father," Remus said and noting that Severus' face contorted at his use of the words your father.

"Yes, turns out my Uncle Alex is an idiot when it comes to relationships as well," Severus said and then slipped into to silence as he continued treating his wounds.

"Well?" Remus prompted. Severus looked blankly at Remus. "You can't stop there, tell me what you mean about your Uncle Alex," Remus implored.

"Seems my Uncle Alex, or Sandy as she calls him, used to be involved with Minerva McGonagall."

"Involved?" Lupin loaded the single word with a world of implications.

"Yes, involved, unfortunately there's apparently been a feud between the McGonagalls and the Princes for generations, so their relationship was forbidden by their fathers, of course you know how young people are about defying their parents. But eventually Uncle Alex gave in to the pressure and broke things off with Minerva. He told me himself though that he never got over her, and right now they are up in her office 'talking'."

"I thought you said you came back so your Mum could talk to Albus?" Remus asked, confused.

"Yes, their portraits are talking in my quarters," Severus replied.

"Well, no wonder you came down to play at crossing wands with me then. The grown ups are all off talking over their relationships and told the boy to run along did they?" Remus taunted.

"You trying to get me riled up enough to go back at you, Wolf?" Severus asked hotly.

"No, no, sorry, just my own frustration at being treated like a child of late," Remus replied trying to soothe Severus.

"What do you mean by that?" Severus asked.

"Are you comfortable sitting there on the floor?" Remus asked

"Not really, why do you ask?"

"Well, I think we're suitable patched up enough to walk through the hallways. Why not head back to my quarters and we can have something to eat and a tumbler or two of fire whiskey while we talk?" Remus suggested.

"Capitol idea, Remus. Lead the way," Severus said sounding in better spirits.

Soon the two men found themselves tucking into a midday meal of hearty soup, cheese and fresh baked bread, washing it down with large glasses of red wine, they'd both decided to forego the whiskey for the time being.

"So what's this about being treated like a boy?" Severus asked.

"Last night Minerva called together the Malfoys, Filius and Pomona to discuss how to handle the Daily Prophet reporters. I was excluded," Remus said bitterly.

"Why? Surely if the Heads of houses were being briefed about a strategy for handling those reporters, then you needed to know so you could inform your Gryffindors," Severus said with a note of indignation.

"Minerva thought, and as it turned out she was right, that the Golden Trio, well mostly Hermione, would figure out the strategy themselves so she didn't need to put up with me. They did figure out the strategy by themselves, not that it worked," Remus mumbled the last comment.

"What was that?" Severus asked. Remus cleared his throat nervously. He really hadn't wanted to be the one to tell Severus about the fiasco with the reporters.

"Only the students of age to be affected by the Marriage Act were to be present, so the younger ones were sent off to their common rooms or into the grounds. Then the older students were to stick only to the subject of the Marriage Act and how it would affect them," Remus looked at Severus and knew that Severus was becoming impatient with his stalling. Not everyone would be able to sense that but Remus had keener senses that most people. He realized he'd best just blurt the rest out.

"Well, there was this idiot of a reporter, a Ms Sally Ann Wofford, she came over to my Gryffindors and she kept up this constant barrage of questions about you, plus she kept saying provocative things about you, referring to you as Dumbledore's bastard son and stuff like that. Well, finally Miss Granger sort of flew off the handle and gave the reporter a piece of her mind," by this point Remus was smiling with the memory of it.

"Merlin, that girl is awesome when she's riled up. She defended you like a lioness over a cub. Told the reporters how you were the true hero of the war and went on about how no wizard or witch should be blamed for his or her parents' mistakes. Of course she eventually went too far, as Hermione is sometimes wont to do," Remus finished and looked at Severus to see how he'd taken the information.

"What do you mean she went to far?" Severus asked warily.

"Hermione told the reporter if she really wanted the truth of things and not just a sensational story, perhaps she should interview Dumbldore's portrait," Remus answered.

"She didn't," Severus said, sounding as though he really wanted Remus to tell him he was just joking.

"She did. However Minerva said absolutely no way. But then again I heard the reporter muttering about going over her head to the governors," Remus responded.

Severus shook his head thinking about what would be in tomorrow's paper, then a thought struck him. "Remus, how is Miss Granger taking this situation?"

"Not well, when she realized what she'd done she took off at a run out of the Great Hall."

"Has anyone bothered to look for her?" Severus asked trying to mask the concern in his voice with sarcasm.

"Of course, Potter and the Weasleys went looking for her and they found her, sort of."

"What does that mean?" Severus asked now irritated.

"Harry was quick enough to think to grab the Maruader's Map to search for her and he saw her name disappear off the map in the hallway where the Room of Requirement is, they've tried to get in, but the room won't let them," Remus explained.

"And you're satisfied to leave it at that?" Severus said, rising from the table the two men had been eating at and trying to pace in the small space afforded in Remus' quarters.

"Severus, Hermione is a sensible young woman who just needs a bit of time alone to reflect about the incident," Remus said.

"You mean time alone to brood and become unreasonably despondent over something that is in no way her fault. Well, you can just sit there, but I'm going to the Room of Requirement! I'll get the bloody thing to open up and let me talk to her if it's the last thing I do!" Severus proclaimed and swept out of Remus' quarters.

"Well, well, well," Remus said smiling and shaking his head at the closed door, "if you don't defeat the Marriage Act my friend, I've a good idea what muggleborn witch you should petition for."

_Author's Note: Sorry to take so long updating but it's a very busy time of year for me. I'll try to get another chapter up in a week or two._


	20. Chapter 20 Old Lovers

Author's note: So sorry for the long delay but first I had some writer's block, then my computer ate most of the chapter, then real life hit with a vengeance. This is really only 2/3rds of the chapter I had planned but I thought I'd get up what I could now, So Chapter 21 will be Hermione and Severus in the Room of Requirement

" I thought they'd never leave," Alex said, making an attempt at humour and then stepping closer to Minerva reaching out to take her in his arms.

"Sandy," Minerva said in a soft and shaken voice.

Alex drew her into him and brushed his lips upon her brow.

"Oh Minnie, my Minnie, how long I've wanted to hold you again," his voice was laden with longing and sadness. Minerva pushed him away and turned away from him, pacing to the window of her office.

"I can't do this Sandy," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her.

"But, I don't understand, I thought, – but you called me Sandy, and I thought," Alex started and stopped several thoughts. He sighed. "I see. I've been a fool thinking you'd forgive my cowardice, but of course you haven't"–

"No, Sandy, it isn't that, of course I've forgiven you, and it wasn't cowardice, just Slytherin practicality, rather than Gryffindor folly. You were right, our trying to oppose our fathers was foolishness," she added conceding a point to an old argument.

"But they've been gone for years now, I should have come back to you as soon as old Septimus passed," Alex countered, listing yet another of his transgressions against their relationship.

"It wouldn't have mattered," Minerva said softly.

"Then you don't really forgive me," he said sounding desolate.

"It's not you needs forgiven but me," Minerva said.

"What?" Alex said sharply. "You need forgiving, for what? You could never do anything that needs forgiving," he insisted.

"Oh yes I could and have, you just don't know," she said the last bit so softly he could barely hear her.

He closed the distance between them and took her shoulders in his hands and turned her towards him.

"Then tell Minnie, tell me what great wrong you think you've done, so that I can forgive you and we can get on with our lives the way they should have been," Alex looked down at Minerva, but she wouldn't look into his eyes.

"All right I'll tell you, but I doubt you'll want to forgive me or want us to be getting on with anything after I tell you. Now please let me go and, just sit over there," she motioned to a chair in front of her desk.

Alex hesitated and looked at Minerva with worry but then complied. Again she turned to the window. It seemed she just couldn't face him and tell him what she must.

"Go on now love, make your confessions," he prompted gently.

"Shortly after you broke things off with me I realized I was pregnant,"-

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?" Alex demanded to know.

"To what end?" she asked, spinning round to confront him

"Should I have told you so you would come back to me? So that you would convince yourself that we should marry despite our fathers' enmity? Can you imagine what would have become of our child?" she paused for a moment to let him think.

"Our fathers' would have fought over the child like two dogs over a bone. What sort of life would that have been for a child? And what sort of marriage could we have had with our parents at each other's throats and constantly trying to pull us into the battle? You made that point to me over and over again."

"So what did you did Minerva?" he paused for a moment and as the possibilities occurred to him a look of horror crossed his face.

"You didn't? You couldn't. Tell me you didn't abort our child!" Alex voice rose as he pleaded.

"Of course not! I could never do that! she answered swiftly a note of shock in her voice.

"I sought out help, to keep my pregnancy a secret until the end of the school year, and then I went to France to have the baby," she explained further.

"Who helped you?" Alex asked, a gnawing suspicion tearing at his insides.

"Poppy Pomfrey, she and I were friends in school and she was an apprentice healer here at Hogwarts then. No one thought it strange for me to visit her or her to visit me. When school was over, Albus"–

"Albus, Albus Dumbledore! What's he got to do with our child?" Alex spluttered, clearly losing his composure.

"Albus has family in France, I knew he could help me go there and stay with someone trustworthy until it was time to have the child," she answered.

"So you had the child in France and then what?"

"I gave her up for adoption," she answered though the words were hard to understand through her tears.

"Her, we have a daughter then?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, with your dark hair and eyes. I named her Alexis and I gave the double crested necklace to Albus and asked that he give it to the orphanage and tell them that her father gave it to her mother and that the Alexis should have it no matter what. It was the hardest thing I ever did." Minerva finished her explanation and final brought her eyes up to meet her former lover's.

"Now are you still so ready to forgive me and get on with our lives?" she asked.

Alex took a deep breath and released.

"To forgive you, yes; to get on with our lives, no. Not until I find our daughter and make our family whole again," he answered.

"Oh, Sandy you can't," Minerva implored.

"Why not, if she's got the necklace I can trace her and"–

"And do what? Drop in and say, 'Hi, by the way, I'm your biological father and I'd like to take you back to England to the mother who gave you up, so we can be one big happy family?' that ought to go over well," she said sarcastically.

"I want to see her at least once. After all you got to see her once!" he countered.

"Yes, well that is the plus side of being a witch, after a wizard knocks you up and then decides your being together was a bad idea, you get to have a glimpse at the baby you spent nine months carrying and fourteen hours laboring to give birth to, before you give her up for adoption."

Minerva had started her tirade against Alex in her sternest headmistress voice, standing straight and tall, but ended in the teary voice of a frightened young woman barely out of her teens and she was now crumpled on the floor.

Alex went to her and scooped her off the floor. He carried her to the chair in front of her desk. With a flick of his wand and a wordless charm he changed the chair into a loveseat and sat her next to him on it. He held her close to him and shushed her gently. Then he kissed her cheek, tasting the saltiness of her tears.

"Oh Minnie, my Minnie, we'll work this out some how, I promise," with that he pulled her on to his lap. She put her head down on his shoulder and her arms went around his neck. They sighed in unison and held on to each other, each lost in thoughts of the other and the daughter, now a grown woman, whom they'd never known.

As soon as Eileen felt sure that Severus was out of earshot, she started in on Albus, "How could you, how could you be such a heartless bastard?"

"I beg your pardon? I'm sure in your eyes I've done any number of unpardonable things, but what specifically are you on about?" Albus asked, though in truth he thought he knew what she was upset about, but he wanted to hear her voice the issue.

"How could you ask your own son to kill you? What sort of cruel, unfeeling wizard does such a thing?" she asked.

"There was really no other choice"–

"No choice! No choice! If you wanted to die you could have told him the truth, that would have done the trick!" she shrieked at him, actually managing to make her portrait vibrate with her wrath.

"Oh yes, and how would you have had me do that? Blurt it out in front of the Death Eaters who were there on the Astronomy Tower? That would have went over well, while Severus stood there in shock and disbelief, one of them would have killed him. Or maybe I should have pulled him aside into my office and said, 'Severus, dear boy, I have something to tell you, something you may not believe, and when I tell you, a curse your mother put on me will kill me.' Do you think that would have worked? Besides, I didn't even know if the curse had survived you," he added as an afterthought.

Eileen was silent for a few moments. "There must have been some better way than to have him kill the only person who trusted him. The man he instinctively loved as a father. You know you made him the murderer of the most beloved wizard in all England?" she asked rhetorically.

"I also made him Voldemort's most trusted follower and that made him both safe and powerful," Albus replied thunderously.

"Not safe enough, that damn snake nearly killed him!" Eileen countered, her voice rising with her temper.

"Yes, but Fawkes was there to save him. Your phoenix would never let anything happen to our boy."

Eileen calmed some, realizing that Albus had indeed given more thought to things than she had given him credit for, finally she sighed and said, "I don't understand. Why did you think you needed to die in the first place?" she asked sounding bewildered.

"Well it's not like I planned things to turn out the way they did, it's just, well"…

"Yes," she prompted.

I'd been looking for the horcruxes that Tom Riddle made," Albus began explaining.

"Horcruxes, as in he made more than one?" she asked.

"Yes, and that's something we've mostly kept the public from being too aware of. Anyway I was hunting for them and I came upon one, a ring. A very special ring, it had been in Tom's mothers family, the Gaunt family for generations but Tom didn't know what he had, for if he had he would never have made it a horcrux and left it behind to one day be found by someone else," Albus trailed of for a moment, lost in memory.

"Albus, what was so special about the ring?" Eileen asked.

"The stone set in it was the Resurection Stone," Albus answered in a hushed tone. "I recognized it and my first and only thought was that I could bring you back to me. If only to ask you if the curse survived you or if I could at long last tell Severus the truth."

What happened?" she asked gently.

"The ring was cursed. I managed to destroy the splinter of Riddle's soul and then I tried over and over to get the stone to work for me but it wouldn't. Finally, I gave up trying to call you to me and tried to recall my mother and sister. I did manage to speak briefly to my mother and then I returned to Hogwarts where Severus did his best to treat me for the poison but I had delayed to long, all he could do was delay my death. I decided I wanted my death to count for something and having Severus kill me meant that he would be safe and well placed as the Order's spy," he stopped his explanation and looked into Eileen's dark painted eyes for a clue as to how she was taking things.

"So, you sacrificed yourself so that Severus could go on to check the king and young Mr. Potter could make the last move for checkmate, well played Albus. Too bad you can't remember that people aren't piece on a Wizarding chessboard. They have needs and they have feelings," she flung the words out at Albus and they fell upon him like droplets of acid.

Albus bowed his head and very softly he said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did what I thought was right. I see now I couldn't have been more wrong, but I"– he stopped at a lost for words.

"How do I fix this? How do I make it right?" he looked at her, his blue eyes pleading.

"You can't fix everything, Albus. Some things are beyond fixing. You just have to let it be for now. Some day if we're lucky Severus will understand your motivations and forgive you."

Albus looked at Eileen in a quizzical manner.

"I mean someday he'll be a father and he'll understand that a parent can do some pretty stupid things if the think it's in their child's best interest." She smiled at Albus and he returned the smile and then he began to explore the possibilities of leaving his frame to join her in hers.


	21. Chapter 21 Room of Requirement

Author's Note: I know you will never believe this but I'm back, sorry for the long absence, I think my muse was AWOL. I can't promise to update quickly but certainly at a better rate than I've been doing. Now if you can just remember the last 20 chapters.

Although Remus was several inches taller than Severus, he found himself having trouble keeping up with the other wizard, as Severus seemed to nearly fly through the halls of the castle toward the Room of Requirement. As the two professors approached the Room, they saw the male portion of the Golden Trio pacing outside it.

"Professors," Harry said excitedly, "we haven't been able to get in the room!"

"No matter what we've tried!" Ron added.

"Of course not, Hermione is in there and she probably asked the Room to give her privacy," Severus answered sharply, obviously having no patience for the 'dunderheads'.

"Mippy," Severus called for his house elf and with a pop, the diminutive elf appeared in front of him. She seemed startled to see Professor Lupin and the two Gryffindors with her master, but she quickly recovered and curtsied to her master.

"What does master need of Mippy?" she asked.

"Mippy, can you get in the Room of Requirement, no matter what the Room has done to itself?" Severus asked the young house elf.

Fear crossed Mippy's face for a moment, but she nodded and added, "Yes sir, house elves can go into the Come and Go Room, if a master wants that."

"Good, now Mippy, I don't think what I'm going to ask you to do will be at all dangerous," Mippy relaxed visibly at his words.

"What does Master want Mippy to do?" she asked, sounding very willing.

"Miss Granger has gone into the Room of Requirement and we," Severus indicated Remus and the boys, "want to be sure she is all right. So I want you to go in and ask her to either come out or let us in. Do you think you can do that?" he asked gently.

"Of course, Mippy be right back," she said cheerfully. Another pop was heard and she disappeared.

"Why didn't we think of asking a house elf to go in and check on her?" Ron pondered.

"Because the brains of the Golden Trio are in there," Severus said as he gestured toward the Room of Requirement.

Remus couldn't suppress a grin at Severus' comment, and he noted that though the boys both flushed, neither voiced any protest at the dig at their intelligence.

The unlikely quartet waited impatiently for the young house elf to reappear. Before Severus could voice his concerns about what was delaying his servant, he noticed that Weasley was staring at him.

"Problem, Weasley?" Severus asked drawing out the first word into an entire sentence as only he could.

"Uh, no, not really I was just, uhm, well, actually I was wondering what you'd done to yourself?" Ron asked, and then belatedly added, somewhat nervously, "Sir."

"What?" Severus replied in confusion.

Remus jumped in, saving the conversation, "I think Ron's just a bit taken aback by the youthfulness of your appearance without your teaching glamour," he offered.

"Oh, yes I dispensed with it when I went to visit my Uncle and hadn't thought to restore it," Severus answered distractedly, continuing to stare at the door to the Room of Requirement.

"A teaching glamour?" Harry let those few words beg for clarification.

"Yes, many of Hogwarts teachers wear some sort of glamour to disguise their true age or appearance, particularly the younger teachers," Remus explained. "Severus here started teaching when he was only a few years older than most seventh years, so he's worn a glamour ever since to make him appear older than he is."

"And uglier," remarked Ron in typical Ron fashion, that is, before he had time to think what he was saying.

Before Severus could even register the backhanded comment, let alone come up with a retort, Mippy reappeared before the quartet of Hermione's anxious supporters. The young house elf alternated between twisting an ear and wringing her hands.

"Mippy, have you something to report?" Snape promoted the elf.

"Yes, Mippy is suppose to say," the young elf closed her eyes to help her concentration, "that Masters Harry and Ron are to go to Gryffindor Tower and wait for Mistress Hermione, and Master Severus and Professor Lupin can comes in to the Comes and Goes Room," Mippy positively beamed when she finished her report as she knew she'd gotten it all right.

"Well then," Lupin said, "that's it then, you two toddle off to your common room and wait for Hermione, and Severus and I will go in and talk to her for a few minutes. I'm sure everything will be fine," Lupin placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and began trying to move him off down the hall.

"Wait just a minute," Harry countered. "Beginning your pardon, but Hermione is our best friend and we've been through a lot with her."

"Yeah," Ron added in his usual inarticulate fashion.

"Apparently at this moment she would prefer to discuss her situation with more mature acquaintances," Severus pointed out. "And as Professor Lupin is your head of house I seriously suggest you do as he says before you lose points for Gryffindor."

Lupin raised his eyebrows at the two as though to suggest he might just go along with his colleague's suggestion, and so the two young men turned on their heels and left. Unaware that the two older men could hear their muttering, they complained bitterly about the unfairness of the situation.

Severus wasted little time or thought on Harry and Ron. He turned to the door of the Room of Requirements and placed his hand upon the doorknob and turned it, all the while trying to exude a confidence that he wasn't sure he actually felt, but he kept telling himself if he believed the door would open, and he willed it to, then it would. As the door opened did, Severus let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Remus cocked his head a bit and smiled, adding Severus' concern to a growing list of what to him were telltale signs of his 'friends' growing infatuation with the brightest witch of her age.

There inside the room was what to Severus was a heart-wrenching site, but to Remus seemed like something out of one of the old Romance novels his muggle-born students liked so much. Hermione Granger sat upon a Victorian fainting couch, clutching a very damp handkerchief. It was obvious from the redness of her eyes and the way she sniffled that she had been crying.

Severus again moved with greater alacrity than Lupin and was soon perched on the couch next to Hermione.

"Her-Miss Granger," Severus corrected himself, realizing it wouldn't do to be overly familiar with Hermione in front of the werewolf. "Are you quite all right? Professor Lupin and your friends and I have been most concerned about you."

Hermione looked at Severus and then up at Lupin who gave her a smile. She gave back a weak smile and said, "I'm sorry to have worried everyone. I just, I, oh I ruined everything, me and my big mouth"- she stopped and buried her face in her hands, whatever she said next was lost in a muffle of tears and her hands.

Severus pulled her hands away from her face. "Now stop that!" he said in an authoritative but not unkind voice. "You didn't ruin anything. Stop apologizing for something that isn't your fault!"

Hermione jumped up and looked at the two professors in the room and said defiantly, "But it is my fault! I let that stupid cow of a reporter get to me with the terrible things she was saying about you, and then I opened up my great big Gryffindor know-it-all mouth, and as usual I just didn't know when to shut up." With that she sunk down on the couch again and Gave every indication that she would begin to cry again.

"Hermione, look at me," Severus requested. "Remus here told me what you said. It sounds to me like you defended me and set that reporter straight about a few things. You laid the blame for this fiasco at the feet of the right person, and there's no real harm in that."

"Severus?" Remus had been reluctant to break in until now, and in fact, he'd felt a bit like a fifth wheel, but he was shocked to hear Severus say he thought Hermione's suggestion was a good one.

"Well, look it's certainly not my fault I'm Albus' bastard son, now is it?' Severus asked rhetorically. "If the newspaper reporters want to know why Albus Dumbledore sired a bastard son and let a muggle marry the witch carrying his child and let that muggle act the part of father to his son, well let them ask his portrait," he concluded heatedly.

"But your privacy," Hermione protested.

"What privacy? My name and picture are already plastered all over the front page of the Prophet and I'm sure people are speculating about all this anyway," Severus countered rather heatedly.

"But the Prophet shouldn't be rewarded for the way they've handled things," Remus argued.

"What are you suggesting? That Albus and my mother give an exclusive to _The Quibbler_?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Either that or give a Wireless interview to Lee Jordan," Hermione suggested with a smirk.

Severus actually laughed out loud at that suggestion. Soon the threesome was actually deeply involved in the mechanics of arranging an interview for the two portraits with a reputable wizarding publication.

Remus noticed that focusing on how Severus might have his parents tell their true story to the pubic seemed to be pulling Hermione out of her funk. Which he realized was only natural, giving Hermione a problem to solve was a sure fire way to cheer her up.

"Well, I think I'd better be off to make these arrangements with Wizard Week," Remus said by way of excusing himself, his main intention was to leave Hermione and Severus alone, as he wanted to give them as many chances as possible to realize they were perfect for each other.

"Remus," Severus called out to his 'friend', "don't let that take you too long. You should spend some time at home this weekend," he suggested.

Remus turned back as he stood with a hand on the doorknob to the Room of the Requirement, "Right you are. In fact, if you don't mind, may I delegate these arrangements to someone else?" he asked.

"Of course. Ask Flitwick, he's offered to help me in any way he can," Severus replied.

"Right, well, I'm off to see Dora and Teddy then," Remus said as he ducked out the door as Hermione said goodbye.

"What was that all about?" she asked

"What was what about?" Severus replied.

"You telling him to go home. In fact, what's he doing here at all, instead of being with Tonks and Teddy?"

Severus considered for a moment whether he should tell Hermione about Lupin's situation, Remus was after all her head of house and she a student, but it was hard to think of her that way. She was a fellow member of The Order of the Phoenix and she was close to Tonks. He sighed and decided he would tell her and count on her discretion.

"He and Tonks have been on the outs, and he really wasn't sure what the problem was, but we think we've puzzled it out. So I think it's time he went home and got things straightened out."

"What's the problem, I thought Remus and Tonks were a perfect match?"

"Oh, stupid Wolf, he's kept her too far away from him, so that she only sees him on weekends. That's not a proper marriage, specially when they've got a young child. He needs to move them to the castle," Severus explained.

"Is that allowed?" Hermione asked.

"Well it's not common, but it is allowed."

"I suspect Headmistress McGonagall would like having Remus' family here," Hermione speculated.

"Yes, for her, the more she can mother hen over the better," Severus remarked.

"Does she try to mother you too?" Hermione asked, her voiced peaked with curiosity.

"Yes, to a certain degree," Severus pondered his answer a moment, "I suppose looking back on it, she's done as much mothering of me as one could expect a Gryffindor to give a Slytherin, perhaps on my mother's account."

"Pardon?" Hermione asked, feeling Severus' answer was a bit of a non sequitur.

"Oh, uhm," he hesitated, realizing he was speaking very freely with Hermione, who though very intelligent and mature, was still his student, he decided he'd answer this last question and then steer the conversation in a less personal direction. "I just learned that the headmistress and my mother were friends when they were apprentices."

Suddenly a small café table appeared with a luncheon for two.

"Apparently the room thinks one of us or both of us are hungry," Hermione observed.

"Either that or Minerva has found a way to get the room to act as a mother hen."

At Hermione's inquisitive cock of her head, Severus explained, "Minerva keeps telling me I'm too skinny and I don't eat right and now that Narcissa Malfoy is here, she's doing it too."

"Poor Severus," Hermione said sarcastically and grinned.

Severus couldn't help himself, he grinned back and Hermione sat back a bit taking in his countenance for the first time since he'd entered the room. She marveled at how silky his hair appeared and how straight and white his teeth looked, his complexion was still quite pale but not at all sallow and there were fewer wrinkles in his skin.

"What have you done to yourself?" she asked.

"I really must restore my teaching glamour," Severus said, and started to pull his wand out of his sleeve, but Hermione reached out a hand to stop him.

"Please don't, at least not right now." Hermione requested.

Severus paused; he was beginning to realize how confused he was in his dealing with Hermione. One moment he was relating to her as an equal, the next he was thinking of her as a possible paramour and then in the next moment, it would dawn on him that she was his student.

"Your quite handsome without it, and well, it would be quite pleasant to have lunch with you looking this way," she offered, hoping he'd acquiesce.

"Alright, I leave it off for now," 'in for a penny in, for pound' thought Severus as he gave in to her request.

"Shall we?" he motioned to the table and she nodded and rose. He helped her with her chair like a perfect gentleman.

After an exchange of pleasantries, Hermione asked, "Why do you wear a glamour that makes you look older and less handsome than you are?"

"I'd received my Masters in Potions in record time and so I began teaching here when I was quite young. It was decided that I should do something to make me look more mature and also a bit less attractive to the older girls, and well boys for that matter, who might fancy they had a crush on their Potions professor," he explained.

"Good idea, I can imagine a few girls in my class would have made goo-goo eyes at their Professor rather than listen to him lecture had he looked like you do now," Hermione stated with a smile.

"And would you have been one of them?" he asked. He immediately felt like an idiot for saying it. He had no business flirting with her, but he hadn't been able to resist.

Hermione smiled, "Yes, I suppose I might have been."

He looked down at his lunch and a pregnant silence filled the room.

"It's a good Lunch, heh?" Severus said to change topics.

"Yes, but I miss Muggle take away," Hermione answered glas to move the conversation along to a more comfortable place.

"Oh me too. What do you like best, Fish and Chips or Indian?" he asked, glad the awkward moment was bypassed so easily.

Their lunch conversation flitted from Muggle cuisine to academic subjects. Just as Hermione was about to bring up Severus' speaking to the Wizengamut about the Marriage Law, Mippy popped back into the room. She was shaking.

"Excuse please, Master, your mother says you come back now," Mippy said.

"Are you alright Mippy?"

"Mippy scared of Master's mother," Mippy replied honestly.

"It's only my mother's portrait Mippy, she can't do magic," he reassured the young house elf.

"Still you comes quick," Mippy pleaded and then disappeared with her characteristic pop.

"I'm sorry Hermione," Severus said as he stood and tossed his serviette on the table, "as much as I've enjoyed our luncheon, I'm afraid I must attend to my filial duties."

"I understand, and I should be leaving too. I've hidden out in here long enough. I'm sure Ron and Harry are beside themselves with worry."

"They did seem quite concerned for you. Let me walk you to Gryffindor Tower," Severus offered.

"You don't have to do that. You've done enough," Hermione protested.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might like to walk you to your quarters?" he asked.

Hermione looked down shyly. "Oh, well then, of course."

They walked the short distance back to Gryffindor Towers in companionable silence, each lost in thoughts of the other.

"Well, here you are safe and sound," he said as they arrived in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yes, thank you for escorting me and thank you for, well, letting me off the hook," she said.

"There's no need to thank me, because there was no need for you to assume any blame," he reached a long index finger out and lightly tapped her nose to emphasize his words. "Are we clear on that?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and then turned, said the password to the portrait and waved goodbye.

Serverus left Gryffindor Tower planning many things. He would ask Minerva for one more day off so he could change his name to Prince. Then he would set himself to really concentrating on fighting the marriage law AND he would court Hermione Granger, as soon as she graduated, that is, and providing he could get the stupid marriage law repealed so she didn't have to marry some other bloke. OF course if he couldn't get the law repealed he'd have to petition for her himself. He wouldn't stand to see her marry some other wizard.

Yes, he had a plan of action and it put a smile on his face and a spring in his step, if he weren't in Hogwarts castle where students could see him he would have whistled on his way back to his quarters, even the prospect of being scolded for being late for his mother's summons couldn't seem to dim his good mood.


End file.
